Upside Down
by Angkeats
Summary: Troy Bolton heads to Mexico after a near-drowning experience. Gabriella Montez is a troubled woman whose attempt at suicide is stopped short. Little do they know they saved each other...and what happens when they meet again...?
1. Lost

Hey all! Thanks for comments, I love comments! Here's the new one…

**Lost **

Swirling darkness, like a tornado of night. That's all Troy could see as he was sucked down into the deep hole of black, black unforgivingness. The torrent of busy liquid surrounding him dragged his body down, down.

It would not give up, it would not rest. His mind was broken, his brain shut down. Down like the fall his body made, heavy like a winter leaf, dead of life.

Where was he now? Between heaven and hell? He could not tell. It was too dark. It was full of shadows. And light. He could see light.

But nothing. It was all gone before he could decipher the sound of the angels or what song she was singing. Was it even words, or symbols, signs and pictures? It was too confusing, he couldn't think straight.

He couldn't think of anything because it was all long, long ago. Deep and forgotten.

There was nothing.

/

"Hey, Troy!" Anthony called across the street to his friend, seeing him busy on his way around town with errands.

"Hey!" Troy grinned back, his boy-next-door looks transformed with a wide, easy grin that flashed white against his tanned skin. He spent most of his day out in the sun and he boasted a beautiful golden brown tan because of it.

"Where you been, man? I've been looking for you…" Anthony checked either side of the street for traffic before he crossed in a light jog, coming before Troy.

"I've been packing. Dude, I went for the job in Albuquerque and they took me on. I'm gonna be saving lives there now." Troy smiled proudly, his blue eyes shining with his achievement.

"Hey, Hasselhoff, you going down to Mexico coast without me?" Anthony looked shocked.

"Uh-huh…" Troy nodded boastfully, and then grasped his friend's shoulder. "You gonna come down and rock it up with me or what?"

"Ah, man, I can't," his friend looked sad. "Nina needs me home right now and the party days are over…"

"Oh my god…" Troy's eyes widened as he cottoned on to his friend's hidden message. "Is she…are you..?"

"I'm gonna be a daddy." Anthony confirmed.

"Aw man!" Troy immediately hugged his best friend hugely, slapping his back affectionately. "Daddy Ant!"

"You wanna come over for dinner, before you go?" Anthony checked as they stepped apart again.

"Dude, of course."

"How's tonight?"

"Perfect." Troy smiled, flipping his sun-bronzed hair from his face.

/

"Just perfect…" Gabi sighed as she heard the unmistakeable sound of her tights laddering as the buckle of her bag wedged into the fabric at her thigh whilst she climbed down the steps of the county bus.

"Great legs doll!" the driver called chauvinistically and she turned to sprout her middle finger up at him, clenching her teeth in the process.

"Asshole…" She muttered to herself as she smoothed down her green silk striped skirt and red top, her messy-curly hair arranged over her shoulders as she took a nervous breath. "Count to ten," she told herself before proceeding on her way.

The steps to the medical building announced its severity even though it wasn't an official place of healing. She'd been coming here the last three months, every day, as promised.

It wasn't entirely her idea. In fact, it wasn't her idea at all. She was doing this for the people who had told her to, begged her to and harangued her to. It didn't change anything. Nothing would. What was done was done and she wished people would stop staring at her funny already.

Even in here they gazed at her like she was some kind of rare exhibit in glass encased safety in a museum. She sure wished she felt safe like that. Right now, she was waiting for the glass to shatter and her moth rotten body to fall out and shatter, too.

All because of that one day. One day when she was so close to achieving her goal. It had been the ideal setting, the optimum time. There was nothing to stop her, no-one to see.

And then he had drowned. And everything had been ruined. Her life had been saved.

/

**1**

"Nina! You look beautiful…" Troy hugged the tiny, pale-skinned woman and noticed the gloss on her caramel hair and the pink tinge on her cheeks already from her good news.

"Troy, you didn't have to get these…" She admonished of the bunch of tulips she took from him as he kissed her cheek.

"Congratulations on being a mom." He smiled.

"When's your turn to be a daddy?" She asked with a brow arch.

"Me?" He returned, surprised at the question. "Ah, who knows…"

"You'd be a great dad." Nina added.

"Hey! Are you chatting up my buddy?" Anthony inserted teasingly, wrapping his arms around his fiancée from behind and kissing her neck.

"I'm just asking when he's going to get his skates on and settle down," Nina complained lightly.

"Hey, all the time in the world, buddy, right?" He said to Troy.

"I guess I haven't met the right girl yet…" He offered bemusedly.

"Troy is off to Mexico to find a wife." Anthony announced next, moving away again to the kitchen while Troy followed through with Nina.

"You got the job?" Her mouth fell open, and then she squealed and threw another hug on him. "Congratulations!"

"I know, it's gonna be awesome. The waves are legendary down there, I can surf and water ski and oh man, the women…" He beamed happily.

Nina rolled her eyes. "One day, Troy Bolton, you are gonna fall hard on your butt in love. And I for one am gonna laugh my ass off when you do…"

"Now why would you say a horrible thing like that…" He frowned.

"Because ever since your accident you have acted so corny and I know the real reason you haven't settled." She folded her arms with superiority, making him fidget awkwardly.

"And what reason would that be?" He asked nonchalantly, the sweat beading on his upper lip as his heart rate picked up.

"Because you're hoping to find _her_."

/

"Gabriella, how have you been since the last meeting?" Gavin asked, directing his intense brown gaze upon her own chocolatey orbs.

She shrugged. "Fine."

"No dark moments? No episodes, bad dreams or anger?" He pushed.

"I flipped the bird to the bus driver if that counts…" She remarked, causing a snigger amongst her peers.

"And why was that?"

"Because he was checking out my legs pretty much the same way you are right now." She lifted her dark, arched brows knowingly and pointed her toes, her leg muscles responding only to make her shapely legs more attractive.

Gavin cleared his throat while a stain of red rushed across his cheeks and drained quickly. "I see."

"Do I really have to keep coming?" She enquired, not for the first time. She just hoped they would get fed up of her asking and dismiss her.

"You know why you're here." Gavin stated in response.

"Right. I tried to kill myself. Funnily enough coming here every day is not convincing me I did the right thing by staying alive…"

"Gabriella, if you're feeling that way again you should check yourself back into the constant care ward…" Gavin offered sympathetically.

"God, no! It sends me more crazy being inside these walls…" She huffed and rolled her eyes around the room, folding her arms across her petite body. The body that caused so much interest.

"Wayne, how about you?" Gavin moved on and Gabi smirked derisively to herself. _Fat lot of good it was doing being here._ They couldn't stop her even if they wanted to, they wouldn't know how. They might talk up a good storm and pretend they were strong and willing role models but not one of the chumps who worked in this godforsaken hell would know what to do if she pulled out a gun right now and held it to her head.

As she sat there and mutely listened to the others whine on about their problems, she momentarily wondered if she should try it, just for a laugh. Her out-loud murmur of amusement caught a few looks until she snarled to cast them away.

_Wouldn't it just be hilarious to call their bluff and scare a few of these wet drips?_ She sighed as she rolled her head back and starfished in her chair, hanging off the wooden frame in utter boredom. If only she had half the chance. Only she knew they would lock her up again and she had already sworn she would not go back there.

No way, no how.

"I can see your knickers." Freddie, the blonde Amazonian OCD sufferer announced to Gabi as she opened her mouth to catch flies, too.

"Oh, good. I remembered to put them on."

"Gabriella…" Gavin sounded more and more like her absent father every day. _Gabriella do this. Gabriella don't say that…yawn yawn yawn._

"What?" She sat up, agitated.

"At least have the decency to sit like a human being, if not a lady." He reprimanded.

"Man almighty you drive me insane in here…" She muttered.

"Already that," Mike chipped in. "I for one am sorry your knickers are no longer on show…"

Gabi laughed at him and stood up, looking around. "I'm outta here."

"Wait…" Gavin requested as she confidently strode away, no care in the world to the words thrown after her.

"_When will she ever learn?_" She mouthed right in sync with Gavin's exasperation.

/

Troy placed his belongings haphazardly into the many suitcases, boxes and other receptacles he had begged, stolen and borrowed for his move. He sure had a lot of stuff; he mused as he pressed his lips in and flashed his dimple to the empty room.

Nina's words came back to agitate him as he methodically grabbed items then placed them into the holdalls, letting his mind wander on her accusation.

She was right, to an extent. He _was _obsessed with finding the girl who had saved his life that day. After he drowned, he almost didn't go back into the water but his lifeguarding duty had won out; his utter being governed by helping those in need.

But that day, whatever had gone wrong- he still didn't know- had put him in a vulnerable place and he never expected to come out alive. So when he had woken in the hospital- apparently days later- with no idea of who he was or where he'd been, he'd been understandably rocked to the core by his escape.

And he was told, by the nurse, that a young girl had saved him. Nobody knew what she looked like, what her name was or where she was now. All they knew was that she had singlehandedly saved his butt. And yeah, he was finding it hard to let go of that thought.

He at least wanted to say thank you.

But he hadn't found her. How could he? He had nothing to go on. The ambulance driver had told him she'd bolted as soon as he'd arrived on the scene and all he could recall was the sight of a petite, dark haired girl in her underwear, fleeing down the beach.

Troy smirked at the image. _Why was she in her underwear? Why had she run away like that? Why hadn't she waited to see if he would live or die, or had she already known he was safe? Why hadn't she given him the chance to pay her back in kind, give her whatever she wanted for rescuing him that day?_

He sighed. The questions were endless and unanswered and always would be. He had to face facts, he was never going to find out who his saviour was and Nina was right, he had to move on. Maybe Albuquerque would offer the comfort he was seeking. Maybe he would be able to shake off the demons of that day once and for all and move on with his life- the one that felt so precious now that he had almost lost it.

"Mexico here I come…" He murmured softly to himself, zipping up his first full bag and laying it on the floor softly. "I'm gonna miss this place."

"Martha…hellooooo…are you home?" Gabi called to her flat-mate, not fully coming into the space just yet until she was sure it was safe.

"Martha!" She shouted this time, her lips pouted as she waited again. "No-one home, thank god…" She murmured as she came inside finally and flounced onto her bed, lighting the marijuana-filled rizla she was holding and then closing her door behind her and opening the window.

She relaxed back on her bed and smiled as the familiar buzz laced through her veins, warming her body and easing her mind.

"This is life." She decided, taking another long draw on her addictive cigarette.

_Thump._ The front door closed heavily and Gabi rolled her eyes in annoyance as she waited for the inevitable next action.

"Gabi?" Martha banged on her door. "Are you in there? I know you are! I can smell your weed out here!" The plump, chestnut haired girl shouted loudly, ruining Gabi's high.

"I'm smoking a cigarette!" She lied back nonchalantly.

"Gabi, I told you I would kick you out if you ever brought that stuff in here again!" Martha warned.

"Then kick me out." She said flatly, despondent now that her moment of bliss was ruined. She smiled as she stubbed out the burning joint, at least saving some for later when she wouldn't be interrupted.

"Fine. You have until tomorrow night. I want you out Gabi. I mean it." The voice on the other side of her door wasn't joking. Gabi got up from her bed, her arms and legs fluid with the effect of her drug.

"You want me to live on the streets as well as everything else?" She wondered, trying to guilt the girl who had been so good to her this far.

"I told you I would throw you out if you ever brought drugs in here…" Martha hard-lined.

"It's a bit of weed! I'm not selling Ecstasy to five year olds!" Gabi argued.

"Gabi you need to wake up and smell the coffee. You've been sat in here for two months, dossing off your friends and smoking weed! I thought you said once you got out of Goldmore that you would sort yourself out?" She beseeched.

Gabi shrugged, her brown eyes like glass marbles, no infliction in her voice. "I lied."

Martha shook her head. "I thought this was the best thing to do, you know? I honestly thought if you were out of there that you would smarten up. God, Gabi, you were _begging _us to get you out…"

"I need more time." Gabi stated more than pleaded, not convincing her friend.

"Time for what? Go get a job and then we'll talk. I meant what I said. I want you out by tomorrow." She added.

"And what job am I meant to do exactly?" Gabi threw back, anger coursing through her at this ultimatum. "I have no skills, no career, I'm useless."

"You were a great nurse and you could be again if you just did that course I showed you and got your qualification back." Martha suggested.

"Oh please…" Gabi rolled her eyes at the often-repeated sentence her friend uttered. "You know what, you're right. I need to move out."

She went back inside her room and pulled down her suitcase- the one she had packed all her stuff into when she had gone into Goldmore Psychotherapy Institution. She should still be able to fit all of her belongings in there.

"Gabi…" Martha paused at her door, not wanting to retract her words but worried at her friend's quickness to leave.

"What?" She snapped, looking up, her brown eyes hard and unemotional.

"I…" Martha paused with a swallow. "I am sorry for what happened but you have to move on sometime."

Gabi stiffened at even the mere mention of the incident that had brought her here. The same one that had put her in Goldmore. And the same one that had caused her to walk into the sea in only her underwear, intending to finish the mess in her head once and for all.

"_Fuck,_" She cursed under her breath, now alone, as she blamed the lifeguard again for ruining her plan. Weren't lifeguards meant to be able to swim? Wasn't that the whole point?

Then why did he have to drown at _that _moment? Why did he have to be in _her _patch of sea? Why was he even out there for god's sake? Nothing made any sense. And it never would, because she was never going to see him again. But when she had sung to him to bring him from his deep, dark slumber, her song being the only way she could communicate at that second knowing that words would make her cry, he had opened his blue-blue eyes and looked right at her, catching her song in her throat.

She would never forget his face, no matter how hard she tried and it haunted her almost as much as the images that drove her there that day. She would never forget the man she had saved and ultimately, who had saved her, against her wishes.

And as she picked up her heavy suitcase and headed for the front door, she wondered now why he had bothered. She didn't _live_ now. She just _existed. _Nobody cared if she was here or not, she didn't matter to anyone. As she turned the door lock, she heard Martha's distraught calling of her name.

"_Too late little miss boring,_" She muttered unkindly. "_I have other places to be._"


	2. Found

Thanks for all the wows and excitement, always makes me smile!

Some messages:

Angel on your shoulder- call it poetic licence, I change some real details to make it fit :p

Flakegirl- yeah I kinda had Little Mermaid in my head for this one ;)

Tam- :D

**2**

His apartment was huge. He could get a lot more for his money down here and the beachside complex was about as close to perfection as he could reach without actually sleeping on the sand, which he would gladly do if the nights didn't hit minus three in the spring like now.

He let out a low whistle as he fought the door open, juggling two large suitcases as he struggled inside, clattering almost every surface as he did so.

"I am in the right complex, right?" He checked.

The voice behind him was that of Anthony. His friend had followed him down to help him settle in. "Dude, this is awesome."

"There must be a mistake…" He frowned confusedly. "They told me it was modest, nothing special…"

"They lied," he agreed, looking around the large, open space- a perfect bachelor's pad if there ever was one.

"Wow, maybe they got a different idea of modest," he mused, staring around, focusing on different parts each time. The large, dark chocolate sofa, the cream rug soft and stylish beneath. The red-brick fireplace centring the room, creating a snug lounge. Over the back, the open- built kitchen, perfect for entertaining. He wandered through, almost in a daze, pushing open the door to his room.

"Whoa…" His eyes widened at the huge four-poster bed. Made of dark mahogany, it stood proud and large in the centre of the room, surrounded by equally dark-wooded furniture items. "Seriously…" He looked to Anthony.

"You lucky son of a gun," Anthony grimaced. "Girls are gonna love that bed."

Troy allowed a grin before he sobered. "Ah, but will they love me enough to come and sleep in it?"

"I don't think they'll care once they're in here…" His friend teased.

"Oh thanks, buddy." Troy shook his head.

"Hey, you want me to stay and help you settle?" Anthony checked, tracking back out for the second wave of boxes and bags.

"You should get home to Nina." Troy smiled tightly.

"Hey, bro's over hoes." Anthony put an arm around his shoulders quickly. "If I'm not gonna see you for months, I at least expect one messy night to make up for it."

Troy allowed his smile to be released again. "That sounds awesome." He agreed.

"Then I'm in. And I am _so _sleeping in your bed tonight dude…" He chuckled before he went out for more boxes.

"Not with my girls!" Troy launched back with a grin. _Man, life didn't get much better._

/

"Oh, shit…" Gabi pulled herself up from the sand and checked her watch, realising she was late for therapy. "Gavin's gonna kill me…"

Her hair was interspersed with sand, her clothes a little damp and her travelling companion- her suitcase- slowed her down but she finally crashed into the room with a hostile squint thirty minutes late, daring anyone to comment.

"Gabi, you're late." Gavin stated the obvious despite her glare.

"Really? Wow golly gosh I had no idea…" She rolled her eyes, throwing her suitcase down with anger and stalking over to the group before she plonked herself into her seat. She noticed some of the group cower as she got closer and she sucked her teeth in agitation. _Why were they afraid?_

"Ahem," Gavin cleared his throat, lifting his eyebrows expectantly.

"I'm homeless, okay? My friend threw me out. Happy now?" She challenged.

"Gabi, you seem to be going backwards instead of forwards, which is the norm in this program. Everyone here is making positive steps to improve their situations and you just seem to keep-" He was cut off by her wry tone.

"Keep what, Gavin? Fucking up? You wanna stamp that on my head in case I didn't already know?" She launched. "You sit there with your perfect little life and think you can tell me how to get one like it? How's that?"

He patiently watched her and it irked her even more. Arms folded defensively, legs crossed, one bouncing angrily atop the other, she had never felt so livid in her life.

"I think you should check back in full time." He repeated yesterday's suggestion.

"No way." She answered, her lips pressing together in annoyance, like that was the only possible suggestion he had.

"You could hurt yourself or others the way that you are…"

"What?" She cried out, standing up and throwing her arms out. "I wouldn't hurt anyone! Jesus, what do you think I am?"

"People are afraid of you, can't you see?" He enquired, assuring the nervous members of his group while she looked around, person by person and read their faces. They _were _afraid. She had seen it when she came in and she just presumed her fiery temper had shocked them. Now she wondered what they saw and she didn't. Was she worse than she knew?

She swallowed and played for time to answer, but Gavin spoke again, ruining her concentration.

"Are you taking the diazepam?" He checked.

She rolled her eyes and snorted a breath through her nose. "Sure. I feel like the walking dead on that shit."

"Then I suggest you leave for today before everybody else is affected by your negativity. I will apply for a section to bring you back full time." He added.

Her eyes and mouth went wide. "You can't _do that_! I haven't done anything wrong!"

"What about the drugs, Gabriella? I know what you've been doing at home." He added.

_Martha! _She closed her eyes and cursed her friend mentally, praying he was calling her bluff.

"Well aren't my friends just the best?" She snarled, then turned and stormed over to grab her suitcase again, dramatically exiting the room with a flourishing slam of the door.

_Fuck! What now? Could life possibly __**get **__any worse?_

The air smelled different here. It was sharper, sweeter and salty because of the heat. Back in California the sun had shone all the time but it wasn't intense like it was here. He smiled as he closed his eyes to the balmy spring breeze and sucked it into his lungs, learning his new home by nature, the way he knew best.

He pulled his binoculars up to his eyes, scanning the shore and the waves beyond. He wasn't on duty today. Chad, his new colleague, was showing him the ropes and easing him in gently after Troy had asked to tag along with him today.

They'd spent the morning going through work stuff and now Troy had the whole afternoon to appreciate the bikini-clad girls on the beach and bask in the hot sun. The girls down here were a lot curvier he noted as his squinted eyes scanned the sand without his binoculars. They were shaped differently than the girls back home and their hair was darker, always nearly black and their skin tanned and exotic. He'd seen a hundred shapely girls frolicking up and down the beach but no-one had so far engaged his interest.

He decided to walk up the coast a little, find a more secluded spot, maybe pull out his book and sit for a while and read in the cooling shade. He smiled as he thought of Anthony's jealousy of his new home. They'd both checked out the beach and his friend had admired his view of women almost as much as Troy, until he had reminded his friend of Nina back home, pregnant as well.

He walked easily on the sand, like he was born on it and he looked out toward the horizon, wondering who was out there waiting to come home; hoping everyone was safe and no-one was in trouble.

Up the quiet end of the strip of sand, he could see a body. It was a girl, he realised as he peeked through his binoculars and saw dark, curly hair messily striped down her back, which was toward him. The way she was laying panicked him for a moment that she might be hurt, or worse, but then with another glance through his magnified glass he realised she was sleeping, using a suitcase as a pillow. _What in the heck?_

He sauntered over, not sure if he should disturb her. He felt kind of rude to. She was soundly asleep and it was her business why she was here, fully dressed on this warm day, sleeping on the beach in the middle of the day.

Her all in one playsuit had shorts that revealed her thighs and he tipped his head at the sight, his mouth going dry at her amazing curves. She wasn't like the other girls, although she was equally curvy and tanned. Her thighs were muscled, too. He'd never seen such amazing legs on a woman before.

Her hair was curly- messy and layered with sand, but the black nest blew enticingly in the breeze, making him smile bemusedly at his reaction. _She was just a girl asleep on the beach. Why did he feel like she were a diamond in amongst pearls?_

Intrigued as to her origin and what brought her here, he decided to wake her, besotted by the tiny Mexican laid in the sand.

"Ehem…hey…" He touched her arm to rock her gently from sleep.

"Get the fuck away-" She pulled up sharply and turned to him, flipping out a penknife that drew his brows up.

"Oh…I, uh…" He held up his hands, not expecting to be on the receiving end of a sharp weapon. He looked into her whiskey eyes and dropped his gaze to her plump, parted lips, feeling something shoot into his tummy like lightening.

"Wait, don't I know you?" He squinted.

Gabi licked her lips and tried to hide the flash of shock that belted across her chest, suffocating her. "No."

"I do…I just can't think how…" He frowned, screwing up his face, his thick brows furrowing together, capturing her gaze there. She shook off the feeling and quickly rose from the ground, still brandishing her weapon.

"You don't." She assured.

"Wow," he looked puzzled, and then shook his head, also rising from his previous kneeling position. "I guess I thought wrong."

"What do you want?" She demanded, equally gruffly. He flicked his gaze down her, finding her figure pleasing to his eye- what he could see of it beneath her little purple jumpsuit. Her waist was tiny- he was sure both his hands would nearly fit around it- fingers to fingers. Her hips and thighs shapely- but toned and soft, all in one and he couldn't work out how she would feel yet. Hard and muscular or soft and fleshy? Her eyes were bright with anger and her face was beautiful- so breathtakingly beautiful that he had to swallow twice before he could speak again.

"Nothing…I-"

"You woke me," she accused. "You must want something."

"Can you put that thing down? You're making me nervous." He said instead and she squinted at him before covering her blade and relaxing her stance so she was no longer on the defence, seemingly happy he wasn't about to attack her.

"Why did you wake me?" She asked again. _And why are you here?_ She asked herself silently, still shocked by his presence here in Albuquerque. Had he tracked her down and found out who she was? Or was it some bitter twist of fate that he landed in _her_ town, on _her_ beach at the very same time she happened to be sleeping there?

"I'm the new lifeguard here. I was just patrolling the beach and I thought maybe you were hurt or needed help…" He offered honestly, his gentle hands going out as he spoke, unconsciously showing he was telling the truth.

She flicked her gaze to them, then over his muscled physique and then back to his blonde-streaked hair and blue eyes that matched the sky.

"I'm not hurt and I don't need help." She assured, sitting onto her suitcase to look out to the waves beyond. He didn't move and she felt his gaze upon her, annoyed by it when he still didn't move to go. "Can I help you?"

"You need somewhere to sleep." He stated obviously. His words were brave considering she didn't know him but she couldn't help but feel touched by the concern he laced into them and she wondered why he would care when he didn't know anything about her.

"No, I'm just…about to go on holiday and I thought I'd spend my last night here on the beach." She lied outrageously, cursing herself for her stupidity.

"Okay…" He agreed easily, bringing her scathing glance round to him, wondering why he was letting her lie go unnoticed. "But if you did need somewhere, I could help." He added.

"Right." She nodded, her lips pressed together as she forced herself to look forward again. She couldn't possibly run the risk of seeing him again. He clearly recognised her but it also seemed obvious that he had lost his memory, or he would have been able to place her. If she saw him again he might just remember everything and that would be very, very dangerous.

"I'm Troy, by the way…" He held his hand aloft to her and she looked at it, then him with disgust.

"I'm going on holiday remember?" She asked unkindly. "I don't plan on seeing you again…"

Troy tilted his head and nodded, retracting his hand. "Well it was nice to meet you. I hope you have a good trip." He said and then turned and walked away, leaving Gabi to sigh out in relief.

"That was _too _close for comfort…" She whispered to herself. "Note to self- avoid the lifeguard."

/

"You okay, dude?" Chad asked his new friend and colleague.

Troy's face was creased with confusion as he looked at the dark-skinned man. "Yeah, I think so…"

"What's up?" Chad asked.

"I just saw this girl and I swear I've seen her before, I just can't think where…" He mused.

"You been to Mexico before…" Chad grinned knowingly, rather than asking.

"Nah…" Troy denied, rejecting the innuendo. "It's so weird."

"Well where is she, I might know her? Point her out." He asked.

Troy handed over his binoculars and pointed to the far end of the beach, even though Chad had his own pair around his neck. "The girl with the amazing hair and legs and…everything," Troy described.

"Wow dude, are you in love already?" Chad chuckled. "They all have nice everything here…" he commented as he looked through the lenses to find Troy's mystery girl.

"Do you know her?" Troy asked as Chad became quiet.

He passed the binoculars back to Troy and gave a one sided smirk. "That's Gabriella. The local junkie." Chad derided. "She might look hot but boy does she have a tongue on her…"

"She's a junkie? Really?" Troy frowned, looking back toward his object of interest, then to Chad again.

"Yep. She used to work at the local hospital and then her best friend and boyfriend got into an accident and when they rolled up in A&E she lost the plot. She's been shooting heroine ever since." Chad described.

"How do you know all this?" Troy wondered.

"Because I used to date her best friend and her boyfriend was my buddy." Chad sighed. "Jason and I played basketball together in High School."

"Oh. Hey, I'm sorry, dude- I shouldn't have asked." Troy ventured, feeling guilty.

"It's okay; you're bound to find out anyway. If there's one thing you gotta learn about Albuquerque it's that secrets _always _find a way out…" Chad mused.

"Then where could I have met her before? I don't get it…" Troy murmured almost to himself.

"She disappeared for a while after. No-one knows where she went. Who knows maybe she came to California and looked you up," Chad teased, lightening the mood.

"Oh, sure," Troy rolled his eyes and blushed at the gentle ribbing from his new buddy.

"You still think she's hot?" Chad asked now Troy knew everything.

"You know what? I think I do…" Troy mused.

/

_Oh my god, he's here. He's here in Albuquerque and there is no-one I can tell about it because nobody knows what I did. Or what I tried to do. Nobody __**can **__know. _

_What am I supposed to do now? Leave town again?_

Gabi sighed, watching the sun set against the watery horizon, casting a mirror image back at itself. She should call Gavin and discuss it. She should call someone. Only who else was there?

Her best friend was gone. She closed her eyes and swallowed, quickly pushing the thought from her mind. Martha was mad at her. Chad wasn't speaking to her because he thought she was a druggie after seeing her go into Goldmore and not knowing why, had made up his own mind.

She sighed and poked two fingers into the top pocket of her jumpsuit, retrieving her beloved joint, slightly mashed but still intact. She lit the end and sucked in, relying on the feel-good chemicals to comfort her. Maybe it would even help her decide what to do.

Maybe she could try again, she mused. Everyone had tried to persuade her to live, enjoy her life. Everyone had tried to erase her memories and convince her she had everything to _live _for. But they had been wrong, hadn't they? Nothing was worth anything any more.

Two blue, compelling eyes popped into her mind and she frowned them away. What did _he _have to do with anything? So what if she had saved his life? What did it mean, really?

His concern had been evident. He seemed like a nice guy. The person she had saved had saved many other lives and would continue to do so apparently. That counted for something. She'd saved a hundred lives without even trying; only she didn't want to save her own.

She stood up, glanced down the beach to ensure her privacy as she picked her way along the cove and stripped her jumpsuit off, leaving her in her bra and knickers once more open to the elements. The cool breeze that was welcomed during the humid hours of the day was now chilly and she felt the goose bumps pucker her skin as she walked forwards, into the waves. The water was still warm from the day as it swished around her thighs, then up to her hips as she strode deeper.

Just a little further, up to her waist now, she felt the waves knock her a little and the chill of the deeper water uncomforted her skin.

"Just take it all away," She begged someone, somewhere as her shoulders submerged and then the flaps of water crashed over her head as she held her breath and prayed for an end once more.

_Don't save me this time. _

_Whoosh._ Two strong arms wrapped around her middle and dragged her back; away from the darkness she sought so badly, ejecting her from her sorrow and catapulting her toward the surface where the air would invade her lungs.

"No…no!" She cried, fighting the hold around her small body. "No, let me die!" She begged, sobs convulsing her body as she was carried through the waves and laid onto the sand with care.

"Gabriella, are youokay?" Troy's voice husked, his hands peeling back her hair to check.

"No! I want to die…why couldn't you let me die?" She beseeched, sobbing into the sand in big, painful wails that confused him.

Troy watched the petite girl cry heavily and felt something like pain roughen his chest. Why did she want to die? What on earth could make her want that?

He quickly reached for her suitcase and found a soft jumper to wrap around her, covering her practically naked body. When he had seen her go under the waves, he didn't know what to think, he had just waded in with his natural instinct to save her.

And then she had come up fighting, cursing him for stopping her intention to drown. When he had finally gotten her to shore, he would have been a saint not to notice her nearly naked body, covered only in a bra and panties. She was everything her clothes had hinted at and more but although he felt a reaction deep down that he couldn't describe, his main concern was for her safety, not for how she looked naked.

He watched helplessly as she continued to bawl and then something inside him clicked and he scooped her up, into his arms, bringing her into his wet but warm body, cuddling her in her moment of need. God but those cries were painful to listen to, he sighed out against her hair, stroking gentle hands down her arm and hair as she curled into his chest and submitted to his embrace.

"I just wanted it to be over…" She whispered on hitching breaths.

"Shh…" He soothed. "I've got you, okay? I've got you."


	3. Running Away

Just wanted to give a little nod to Nick Carter, whose song 'I Got You' helped inspire the Troy in this story!

And to FlakeGirl- who's gonna update! Woo hoo!

And y'know, everyone who reviews :) Don't think I don't know who was there since the start and who reviews every time and stuff, I do ;)

**3**

There was no doubt she was going to kill him, he was sure of it as he tucked her up with a warm blanket having dressed her into some of his checked pyjama's after drying her and carrying her up to his apartment.

He hadn't forgotten the way her dark eyes had sparkled at him dangerously when he had disturbed her sleep before and although he had caught her in a vulnerable moment, he didn't doubt that her volatile anger would return when she woke and realised what he had done.

It shocked him, more than he liked to admit, to think that she wanted to end her life. His own life had been so precariously in the balance that he couldn't imagine anyone willingly wanting to end things, but the fact that he had intervened in her plan would not come as good news to her.

And he didn't know yet how he planned to explain himself or deal with the aftermath. All he knew was that he was glad he was there. Another life saved- albeit against her wishes. Another person he had kept in this world.

She stirred a little in her sleep and murmured, grasping the sofa cushion in her small hands as she fought some demon in her dreams and he felt his heart twist at her obvious turmoil.

_Who was she? Why was she sleeping on the beach? Was she really using heroine?_

He couldn't see needle marks on her small, perfect arms. He couldn't see dark circles under her eyes or spots on her smooth skin. Nothing pointed to drug use.

_Then what was it? What was her deal?_

He put a tender hand against her arm as he stood to go to his room, wondering what was hurting her so.

"I've got you." He whispered again, padding off to his bed to sleep.

_/_

"What, they don't do Cheerio's?" Gabi huffed to herself quietly in the supermarket, annoyed that they didn't stock her favourite snack. Nearly drowning had made her voraciously hungry and Troy's apartment had been seriously lacking in the snack department. Sneaking out had been easy and she felt relieved she didn't have to face him again.

The thought of her adventures last night caused her to quickly blank her mind, choosing to sing along to the crackly old radio that the store owner was listening to.

#A baby's born in new York  
While another's being born somewhere far away  
They will learn to crawl after they walk  
The collision course that forces them together one day

They started out as perfect strangers  
Two people - separate dreams  
One twist of fate spells danger  
Who could know - who could see#

"Seriously? No Hershey's either?" She rolled her eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Is there no love in this world?"

She perused the shelves seeking adequate replacements. She had a long trip to make and she would need substance. She didn't even know how she was going to get there yet, the coach ticket was twice as much as she could afford and her friends had all turned their backs, leaving her with little option but to hitchhike.

She knew she could, easily. She was what people would call 'the kind of girl you would give a ride to', only that didn't fill her with comfort at the moment. The way she was going, she would seriously injure anyone who even tried to come onto her and lord knew the guys that picked up strays normally _did _try it on.

#They were crazy lovers burning up  
With a fire in their eyes that could not be tamed  
You could see their spirits in the night  
Feel the tension in the air - such a treacherous game

They started out as perfect strangers  
Two people - separate dreams  
One twist of fate spells danger  
Who could know - who could see#

"Mama, you have so much to answer for…" She mused of her figure, blaming her genes for her unusual looks, her petite, curvy figure. "Although you didn't kick box my ass into shape…" She mused as she slung in a couple of peanut butter bars and a sack of chips in for 'the road'.

#She left it all behind her  
He found her in between  
Some other love and broken dreams  
Reach for the sky don't wait for later  
It's do or die I heard them say  
Let's take a chance don't let love fade away  
Fade away…#

Troy _knew _that voice. He had stepped into the corner store and been instantly frozen to the spot at hearing it, knowing it was the same one that had sung to him that very day he had been pulled from the sea.

Who was she? He wondered as he stalked around the store, trying to find the owner of the most beautiful voice he had heard. Each aisle was empty as he tracked around, increasingly frustrated at missing his target.

Finally, he saw her leave the shop, having paid at the till and he sprinted out after her, grabbing her by the shoulder to turn her toward him.

"Hey!" Gabi protested, rubbing her shoulder at his firm grip.

"Gabriella?" Troy squinted, his mouth opening in shock.

"How do you know my name anyway?" She wondered edgily, turning to walk away.

"It was you!" He accused, running after her. "You saved my life."

"I doubt that very much." She laughed derisively.

"I heard you singing in there…I know your voice." He insisted.

"That's wasn't me singing. I don't sing." She announced, meeting his gaze.

"I heard you." He repeated, sure of what he heard.

She shrugged. "Maybe it was her," Gabi pointed to another petite Latino with curly dark hair who appeared behind them.

"It was you." He said again, looking behind him at the other girl in a moment of doubt.

"I told you I don't sing. It must be her." Gabi lied, watching as he flicked his head from her to the other girl who was now getting away.

"Don't move, I'll be right back…" He pleaded, jogging after the other girl and giving Gabi her freedom.

"Sure." She agreed, waiting for him to turn before she did the same and ran in the opposite direction, before he could come after her again. _This was not good. Why did he have to rescue her anyway? Why was he even _here?

She hurried across the road toward her temporary shelter- by the coach stop, grabbing her suitcase before she headed into the crowd, losing herself in the many identical- looking beings that paraded the sidewalk around her.

_I've lost him. Hopefully for good. Now I just have to decide where I'm going to go and what I'm going to do when I get there…_

"I'm sorry…" Troy sighed with apology to the small girl he had clearly frightened half to death by asking her about her singing in the shop, and then been told she hadn't been in the shop at all. Gabi had duped him into thinking that and the poor girl was wondering why he had stopped her.

"No problem." She assured warily, walking away with a bemused smile as he ran a hand through his hair.

And now she had gotten away. Just like she had planned. _Damn, she was good_, he mused. But why was she trying so hard to get away from him? He'd been so shocked to see her face, there in the shop, that he'd almost hugged her outright; just so grateful she was still alive.

But her eyes had been like deep voids of nothing. She hadn't even graced him with recognition this time and he began to wonder if Chad's accusations were right. Maybe she _was _drugging herself. Is that why she walked into the sea?

He sighed again as he pictured her again, going under, the image dogging him. If she _was _the one who had saved him that day, then why had she?

Had she been in the water herself, swimming and found him, drowning? Or had she had a darker motive, even back then? What propelled her to want to kill herself? What was so bad that she couldn't cope anymore?

He closed his eyes, too many questions clouding his mind when he needed to find her and bring her home again. Or at least make sure she was okay. He jumped in his truck and started the engine, heading for the highway. If he knew anything about strays then it was that if they wanted to leave town, they would have to hitchhike. He just hoped he picked her up before anyone else did.

He pulled on the baseball cap in his passenger seat to disguise his hair, praying he wasn't already too late.

/

"There were three green bottles hanging on the wall, three green bottles hanging on the wall and if one green bottle should accidentally fall, there'd be two green bottles hanging on the wall…" Gabi sang as she trudged along the dry, dirty roadside with her thumb hitched up in hope.

"This sucks…" She sighed to herself, cursing her doc martens as they began to rub her toes already. Her black shorts and white racer-back vest ought to be enough to entice half the city into giving her a lift but no-one was taking bait. Maybe it was the shoes, she mused. They were kind of ugly.

_Toot toot. _A black SUV sailed by her with three teens hanging out whooping 'nice ass' and 'hello hottie!' at her as they went.

"Yeah thanks for the lift guys!" She shouted after them angrily, stomping her foot on the ground below, causing a small cloud of dust to erupt.

"What was I thinking?" She asked herself softly, spying an overturned wheelbarrow abandoned at the side of the road and making a beeline for it, crossing her shapely legs before her and rolling right back so that her body was over the contraption, hiding her torso from the road users. "I must be crazy…"

The soft skidding of tyre on gravel brought her attention up and she slowly rose from her position, facing the driver who had pulled over.

"Wanna lift, honey?" The dark skinned man offered, looking down her legs lasciviously.

"No thank you." She decided right away, thinking this is why girls shouldn't hitch hike. Especially not in shorts.

"You look all tired out." He continued, making her crease her face.

"Erm, no I don't want to sleep in your truck." She guessed quickly.

"Who said anything about sleeping?" He asked, advancing toward her and she grabbed her heavy case and quickly made to get away.

"I'm fine thank you; please go on your way." She instructed.

"Hot girl like you shouldn't be walking out here alone…" He offered, still plaguing her. She stopped and gritted her teeth, rolling her eyes to the heaven before she turned and smiled sweetly.

"Well I am. And I'd like to be _alone _just like you said." She remarked turning and walking again.

"Hey," he jogged to catch her up and she quickly flung her case down, taking stance to twist and aim- landing a flying kick to his body.

"I can defend myself!" She warned, executing the blow to his side.

"There's no need to get nasty…" He snarled, heading toward her with anger now.

"Oh, shit…" She cursed, quickly taking up a sprint to escape him, her breaths becoming laboured as he gained on her, leaving her panicked and trapped. "Please god…"

A red truck swerved off the road ahead of her, landing in the soft rubble at the side, kicking up dust and blocking her escape.

"Oh Jesus, please help me…" She prayed, looking between the truck and her potential attacker, wondering which the worst opponent was.

"Can I help you, sir?" Troy slid from the driver side, walking down with his hands in his pockets to head off Gabi's follower.

The man stopped and looked between the Mexican and the white man who had exited the truck.

"She's my wife and she likes me to chase her." The man explained, coming ever closer to Gabi, who had still not indicated that she knew Troy.

"Is that so?" Troy asked amusedly, coming up to them both and looking Gabi in the face. "Didn't you tell him you were already married, honey?"

Gabi swallowed, the last thing in the world she wanted to do was go with Troy. But she didn't have any choice and that goaded her even more than his smug smirk.

"I thought we got divorced. My mistake." She returned.

"She's always running off like this, see," Troy explained, ignoring her barbed return. "I'm sorry if she gave you the wrong idea."

The man nodded curtly, giving one last look down Gabi's body before he turned and tracked back down the roadside to his own vehicle.

"Are you happy now?" She asked rudely, storming away from him and his truck.

"Hey, he was about to rape you!" Troy accused angrily, following her. "Where are you going?"

"To get my case!" She shouted back, annoyed when he walked beside her and then picked up her case as though it weighed nothing.

"I'll take it." He said softly.

"You don't have to keep saving me, Troy." She squinted into his face.

"Seems like I do…" He mused, heading back toward his truck and throwing the case in the back.

"I'm not going with you." She folded her arms and stood at the back of the vehicle tempestuously tapping her foot.

"Fine, have a nice night out here. See you later." He climbed into his seat and started the engine.

"Hey wait! You have my case!" She yelled above the roar of the engine that filled her lungs with smoke.

"Right, so I do…" He mused, hopping back out of the driver's seat with his keys to unload her luggage. "There you are, madam."

Her brown eyes spit fire at him as she opened her mouth and closed it like a fish, desperate for something to say; only she knew she had nothing. She barely knew him. He didn't have to come out here and try and save her. He didn't even have to take her home. But he had, and he would and strangely she felt a begrudging gratitude for his concern.

"Why do you even care?" She asked, her dark lashes squinting together as he watched her crazy hair flutter in the by-wind from the traffic on the road.

"Because you saved my life." He announced.

"I told you that wasn't me…" She sighed frustratedly.

He paused, wondering if she were actually telling the truth. She seemed convinced of it. But why would she hide something like that, he wondered? Why would she pretend she hadn't saved him when she had? It didn't make any sense.

"It was you singing in that store." He stated.

"I…"

"And that's the voice I heard when they pulled me out of the sea." He added.

"Then there must be someone else who sings like me Troy because I promise you I am not your saviour." She assured. "I'm not capable of things like that…"

He begged to differ. When he had seen her at the side of the road being stalked by that guy, his heart had been in his throat despite the fact he barely knew her. There was something in his gut that told him his hunch was right and that she was lying to cover something up, only he didn't know what. _Or why_.

All he knew was that she was so desperate she was willing to walk into the sea and never some out again and that told him how little she had to cling on to right now. If she wanted to play the game her way, then he was willing to go along- for now.

But he would find out the truth, he promised himself. He would find out why she saved him when she was so eager to die herself.

/

"Your holiday didn't work out, then." He remarked as he handed her a mug of hot milk, as she had requested when he had offered drinks.

She smirked at him, annoyed at his smart-ass attitude. "Well done, sailor." She murmured before she sipped her drink, comfortable on his sofa as he sat on the glass coffee table opposite her.

"You know, you could show a little gratitude for what I did out there…" He grizzled. He was wondering why he had bothered to even go after her now that her vulnerable side was so well hidden he even wondered if he had imagined it.

"I was doing fine." She insisted.

"That guy…" he began, and then sighed. "Sure, believe that you were fine, whatever keeps you going."

"I know that you think last night _meant _something. Like because I cried all over you, I should be kneeling at your feet and begging for redemption or something," she began. "But I'm sorry to tell you I am a Grade A bitch and what you saw was a one-off."

His blink was barely noticeable, but he did blink, wiping the emotion from his face with it. His eyes that had been animated were now dead. His face that had been creased with concern, now smooth and deadly serious.

"I guess I ought to just throw you back out there…" He said, getting up from the table to retreat to his room. "I bid you good night, Gabriella. Just please don't kill me for it…"

It was clear, like overlapping colours in water- blue and lilac. She was a mermaid, all pretty scales and shell bikini-top encasing her perfect breasts. She swam round and round in circles, flicking her tail and smiling at him beguilingly. But he couldn't catch her. No matter what, he couldn't catch her.

His human lungs couldn't breathe under the water. He had followed her down, down, to where his life had almost ended and he had found her at last. Just like Ariel singing her song on the shore, she had sung to him and now here she was, her fish-like body capable of coping where his wasn't.

Soon water filled his lungs, choking him, he couldn't swim up, he couldn't swim fast enough, he needed air.

Just like that day, as though it were happening again, in his dream he swallowed lungfuls of water and felt the darkness of unconsciousness swallow him just as well.

"I'm not ready to die…" He murmured to whoever would listen. "Gabriella…"

"Troy?" Gabi stroked his hair back from his sweaty forehead and cradled his upper body in her lap, frightened at the intensity of his dream.

"Huh?" He woke with a start, the sense of someone else in the room putting him off balance for a moment while he found his bearings.

"It's just a dream…" She offered softly, waiting for him to fully come round.

"I was drowning…" He explained confusedly.

"I'm sorry." She replied, feeling bad for him. She knew that day she had found him would plague him forever and somehow she knew he would remember her.

"You were a mermaid," he frowned at the thought.

"Wow, scary…" She mused, scooting back to the edge of his bed as he sat up.

"The shell thingies suited you…" He smiled, offering humour.

She looked down to her chest with a twist of her lips. "Well that's something."

"I'm sorry I woke you," he added with a sleep-gravelled voice that grated along her nerves and set them buzzing delightedly.

"I couldn't sleep anyway." She quickly assured.

"Nightmares too?" He wondered.

"All I keep seeing is that stupid guy…" She sighed, rolling her eyes and shifting so that her feet were on the bed, too and she could lean back against the big head board.

"The one from earlier?" He checked, slicing a look over.

"Yeah."

"You can stay here if you want to. If it makes you feel better." He added.

"Oh sure," she arced a brow. "Sleep in my bed I promise I won't do anything." She mocked, swinging her legs over the edge and standing up.

"Why does everything have a second meaning to you, Gabriella?" He enquired intuitively. "Why do you even think I would be like that?"

She shrugged. "I tar everyone with the same brush. It's a fault of mine."

"Then untar me and give me a chance." He requested softly, seeking her out with his sharp blue eyes.

"I don't think you want to know me, Troy. Honestly, you don't. The Grade A bitch speech was supposed to convince you of that."

"Maybe I do want to know you. Maybe I'm not convinced you're a bitch at all." He replied.

She froze in the dark, her body stiff like a rod as he hit a nerve. "You're wrong." Was all she said before she turned away again.


	4. Ice Queen

**Hope you like it, please review!**

**Ang**

**4**

"Hey Chad!" Troy called, running down the sand to meet his friend half way from the look out.

"Hey, there you are man, I wondered where you got to!" Chad smiled.

"Yeah sorry, something came up. But listen, about Gabriella…" He began.

"Oh jeez, thanks for warning me…" Chad muttered as the feisty but beautiful girl came down the sand towards them.

"Huh?" Troy frowned in puzzlement, and then twisted his neck to see Gabriella behind him.

"Hi." She stood and folded her arms, looking to Chad.

"Gabi." Chad said, looking to Troy. "Just be careful." He warned.

"I…" He began, but it was too late, Chad had walked away. "What is that about?" He wondered, turning back to Gabi and catching her sad look.

"It's complicated." She said.

"Well I doubt you'll tell me even if I ask…" He guessed. "Is everything okay?"

"Is it ok if I leave my stuff at your flat for now?" She wondered. "Seeing as I'm not leaving town after all, I have some things to sort out."

"It's fine with me." He assured easily.

"Look, about Chad…there's some stuff he doesn't know. He thinks he knows but it's not what he thinks." She explained confusedly.

"Well that cleared it up for me," he smiled bemusedly.

She squinted up at him, her choice of black jumpsuit and red tights intriguing him. "Just…don't believe everything he says ok?" She pleaded and he lifted his brows at her gentle request.

"Okay."

/

Gavin wasn't quite so forgiving. Gabi knew when she had left that day that she had hoped it was the last time she ever had to some here and face these people and maybe it was, maybe she was ready to try her own therapy now, but she still owed him an apology and a thank you.

"I'm not convinced you'll do anything differently…" he begrudged as she explained her reasons for leaving the group.

"Well nor am I but this isn't working so…"

"What's changed?" He wondered. "Yesterday you left here convinced you'd never be back."

"Well, someone brought me back." She sighed. "And maybe it made me think a little bout my life. About what I want. I think maybe he got me thinking that leaving isn't always the answer."

"He?" Gavin enquired with interest. "Do you have a relationship with someone?"

The teachings of the group were all based around building relationships, he would be only too happy if she told him she was with someone. Only she couldn't lie to him any more. Or to herself.

She shrugged instead. "I don't know. Maybe."

"That's a start." Gavin nodded.

"He's the first one not to run away screaming." She remarked drily. "At least not yet…"

"Then I wish you well. Please do visit if you ever feel the urge." He smiled.

"_Yeah right_…" She murmured as she walked out. "Over my dead body…"

/

"So what's the deal with you and the floozy?" Chad wondered as they tracked down the beach together, checking for jellyfish.

"I thought she was your friend?" Troy asked back at Chad's description of Gabriella. He looked over to the darker man and realised there was still a lot of emotion running from whatever had happened before.

"'Was' is the right word." He arched a brow.

"What happened?" Troy wondered.

"You know what? I should let her tell you. I already said enough." He stated.

"I didn't tell her what you said, if that's what you're thinking. I didn't know I'd end up…" He paused for the right words. "…helping her out."

"I did." Chad said back, making him smile in puzzlement.

"How?"

"Because ever since we lost Tay and Jason, Gabriella has turned into the most selfish bitch I know and I wouldn't put it past her to play helpless with you. You're new to town you don't know her games and how she plays people." Chad explained with disgust.

"How does she play people?" He asked, intrigued.

"Well take our good friend Martha. When they put Gabi into rehab, she begged Martha to get her out and she did. Martha gave her a place to stay and all Gabi could do was sit home and smoke weed! Right in Martha's face. Martha who was working all day in a secure job to pay for the apartment that Gabi was so selfishly smoking her drugs in…" Chad shook his head.

"She smokes weed?" He asked, stunned. There were clearly a lot of layers to Gabi he hadn't seen yet.

"Yep and that ain't the half of it. She causes trouble wherever she goes, Troy. Just watch out, you could be next…"

"So who's been helping her through the grief?" He wondered. "Does she have a close friend?"

"Nope. And the rest of us are grieving all the same. She didn't knock on my door before she got addicted to drugs." He accused harshly.

"I think there's more to it than that…" Troy offered objectively.

Chad thought for a moment and paused to look out to sea, as if his answers might be riding on the waves. "Her dad left when she was twelve, way before any of this began. Her mom divorced him and Gabi missed him like hell and blamed her mom for it; she was daddy's girl through and through." Chad expanded. "But we're twenty-four now. She's an adult and when the accident happened I know how much it affected her; it affected us all. We were all Wildcats. We were all in it together and then _boom_, two of them are gone. Her and Jason…I guess they were close but not really. They'd dated from high school and she had itchy feet, I could tell. I don't think she really _loved _him and I think she felt guilty after, because she knew she didn't really miss him all that much."

"That's really sad," Troy offered, imagining Chad's scenario in his head.

"But her and Tay were like sisters. God, they were both beautiful, dark skinned, dark haired girls and they spent every waking hour they could together, giggling, talking, being goofy. I loved Tay like crazy, man. Gabi has no right to sit there and pretend like she got dibs on missing people." Chad complained, flipping his hair back, the afro curls bouncing back.

Troy nodded his understanding but felt a strong pang of sympathy for Gabi, too.

"How have you been coping?" He ventured, wondering if his new friend would want to share such private details.

"I've done better," Chad sighed. "Gabi and I are the opposite two of the foursome and now I can't even talk to her about it…"

"Maybe she feels the same, man. Maybe she wants to be able to talk to you, too…"

Chad smiled suddenly, lifting his face to the dying sun. "You know what, Troy. You got here a few days ago and already you're sucked into the warped world of Albuquerque!" Chad teased. "You're gonna turn right round and hightail it back to Cali aren't you?" He mused.

"Nah, no way. And miss this drama?" He joked back. "I'm glad I have people here I can care about. I'm glad I came." He added.

Chad took a big breath in and let it out again. "We should be getting back now…"

"Aye, aye cap'n," Troy winked with a salute.

/

Gabi had made the lounge her own. Her underwear- tiny scraps of cotton seemingly-were hanging to dry in front of the fake fire on the drying rack Troy had been supplied with. His couch was dressed in various bedding he had stored in the cupboard and her few belongings covered every available surface as he walked in to find her laid on her back on the sofa in the possibly the smallest white shorts he had seen and a printed white vest, her slim and toned legs available for him to appreciate and her breasts neatly pressed up against the thin white cotton of her top.

"Hey…" She greeted from her lounged position, one leg swinging down the side of the sofa, the other raised at the knee. Her hand was absentmindedly playing in her mane of black curls while her glazed eyes watched the flat screen TV that dominated the room.

"Hey…did you have dinner yet?" He asked, coming over to look around. "Wow, what happened?"

"Huh?" She squinted up at him, then around. "Oh, shit, you know what? I started unpacking and then I got watching Judge Judy and I…well I left shit everywhere, didn't I?" She was muttering to herself toward the end of her sentence as she rose to tidy up.

"Judge Judy huh?" He asked with amusement, not quite sure what to make of his room-mate. She bent to collect a pair of rugby socks and flashed him a fine example of an ass that he tilted his head at to enjoy a little more.

"What's wrong with Judge Judy?" She asked, turning to challenge him and catching his look.

"Er…ahem…nothing…" He cleared his throat again, feeling the scratchy evidence of desire in more than his throat as her eyes gleamed angrily at him.

"Are you staring at my butt?" She accused.

"What! No!" He blushed with his lie.

"I thought you were saving me from the assholes." She folded her arms and stalked up to him, her mouth pouting with every step.

"I'm an asshole because I looked at your ass?" He asked softly, confused.

"It's rude." She arched her brow.

"It's rude to stare at your ass?" He questioned, still confused.

"Yep."

"I can't help it that you have a very nice backside, Gabriella. I'm sorry if my looking at it offended you." He smiled gloatingly.

"I'm just fed up of being stared at," she allowed as she unfolded her arms and took up her tidying again.

"You're beautiful, it's part of the package." He mused.

"Do you have a crush on me?" She looked up bemusedly.

"A crush? What is this, senior year?" He threw back, amused.

"Well you keep saying how good I look yet you haven't asked me out on a date." She tallied.

"Would you say yes if I did?" He wondered.

"You won't know unless you ask." She returned, finally placing all her strayed items into her suitcase again and turning to him, finding his warm, smiley gaze upon her back again.

"Would you like to go out for dinner, Gabriella?" He asked, testing his luck.

"On two conditions." She launched back. "One, you call me Gabi. And two…wear something hot…"

"Wear something…" He creased his face.

"Ah-ah," she shook her head, pushing him toward his room. "No questions, just get ready."

"What in the hell is 'hot'?" He murmured to himself, opening his wardrobe. He pulled out his dark indigo jeans, matching a pale blue shirt to them and a dark grey blazer. When he put them on, his eyes stood out like two orbs of sky, so deep and bottomless when you looked into them.

He'd showered, tamed his unruly hair and he even looked nervous. Gabi smiled at that and then watched his gaze roll up from her sandaled feet and over her strapless bronze-dressed body.

"Don't look so shocked," she lanced, pouting her coloured lips, hair neatly trained back into a chignon at her neck, revealing the entirety of her exotic face.

"You look different." He allowed.

"So do you," She smiled felinely, coming over to latch onto his arm. "You look hot."

/

He wouldn't take any money for the bill. She tried three times to give money to the waiter or to him and each time he blocked her and if she kept trying it would get embarrassing. They'd discussed the formals during dinner- names, ages, where they came from, where they grew up.

It was weird, to be sitting in a restaurant with a perfectly handsome man when two nights ago she had been sleeping rough. No wonder she was getting funny looks.

"I swear these people know me," she commented as they left, keen to get home again and relax.

"Are you _that _notorious?" He joked back.

"They might have seen me around town…" She hedged.

"You really don't give any thing away do you?" He smiled down at her.

"Why would I? People just use anything you tell them as ammunition later on…" She commented.

"Do you mean Chad?" He wondered, broaching the subject they hadn't discussed.

"He's one of them," she agreed.

"So what is the deal with you two? All he told me was that you're not friends any more." He lied, hoping she would open up and give him her side of events.

"That's true." She agreed, not offering more.

"Is there a reason why?" He pushed.

"You should probably know half the town thinks I'm some drug-dealing junkie who shoots up five times a day just to keep my fix…" She smiled with no humour, anger lacing her words.

"You don't have injection marks," he reached for her arm and gently turned one over to prove his point, coming to the door of his apartment.

"I hide them well, don't you know? It's all part of my crazy lifestyle. I'm probably banging half the damn town too by their standard…" she sighed as she walked inside, throwing her shrug off and revealing her shoulders to him, lifting her arms to unleash her hair as she kicked off her shoes and he got to witness both the curve of her breast and the shape of her calves as she did so. He let out a little breath to control the pounding of his heart.

"Does that include me?" He asked in a husk as he came in behind her, ridding his own jacket.

She was fixing her hair up into some kind of messy bun as she turned to him on hearing the tone in his voice and it intrigued her as much as it excited her. Was he getting horny for her already? She'd only been there a day. She expected him to last longer.

"I don't know…do you want it to include you?" She tilted her head. "I have a roster you know…"

He grinned at her humour and flicked his eyes down her petite form. "I'd rather be top of the list, and the only one on it."

"Would you now?" She arched her brow. "Well you _are _confident aren't you?"

He shrugged. "I'm traditional. I don't like sharing."

"And what makes you think I want to share anything with you?" She asked as she glided up to him and paused before his muscled form. "Let alone your body fluids?"

He watched in awe as she turned and stomped away, grabbing her night things to change in the master bathroom, which linked to his room. Damn them for only putting one bathroom in because now he couldn't even sleep without imagining her there, in his shower.

He quickly changed out of his dinner clothes and slid under his covers, feigning sleep. He had been quite sure Gabi had returned his physical attraction but now he sensed he might be wrong and actually she had put him down in the smartest way possible.

"Good night Troy." She called as she strolled back through, irking him even more.

"Goodnight ice-queen." He mumbled to his pillow.


	5. Home

Hey everyone, I am so sorry for the delay! And everyone is probably too busy with Christmas now to care but here's chapter 5!

I also have a Christmas special one shot to post, give me time I'll get it up at some point today!

So much to catch up on.

I hope I haven't lost anyone, Merry Christmas!

Ang

**5**

The white shorts were back. And the white vest. And her curves pressed and shimmied against the fabrics enticingly as she cooked breakfast, a sight he was sure he would never see.

"Are you insane?" He wondered sleepily, having pulled on pyjama trousers to see what the burning smell was that had permeated his room.

Gabi twisted from her position by the stove, licking the treacled spoon she was using to make glaze for the pancakes, her mouth strangely frozen at the sight of Troy topless. _Well, damn. _The man had muscles. And then some. Her tasty treat was forgotten as she allowed herself the pleasure of viewing his defined torso, his arms captivating her as he lifted his hand to straighten his hair.

"Gabi…" He frowned, pointing at her lazily. "You're getting that all down your top…" He said of the treacle and she gasped, looking down to find it had indeed dripped down her front while she had been busy gawping.

"Oh shit…" She cussed, throwing the spoon on the side in frustration and peeling the excess off her shirt with her finger.

"Can I lick it off?" He asked with a warm voice as he padded over for coffee.

"No!" She shouted a little too loudly, and then watched his equally muscled back as he poured from the coffee maker. "Can't you put a damn shirt on?"

He turned with his brows lifted, his mouth curved into an amused smile. "Have you never seen a topless man before?" He asked drily. "I thought you were banging half the town."

"_Half the town don't look like that naked," _she muttered between clenched teeth, closing her eyes to the vision of his body. What was wrong with her? He was just a guy. Just any guy. Just some random guy she had saved from drowning and who cutely thought he had to save her too.

Well he had. Twice. But he didn't need to know that. He didn't need to know any of that, she mused as she took a controlling breath and felt safe to open her eyes again. He wasn't in the kitchen now and she looked around with one eye, sourcing him at the table, reading his paper. In a t-shirt. _Damn_. He should have stayed topless.

"Do you like your eggs soft or more cooked?" She enquired.

"You know, Gabi, I have to admit you are the _last _person I expected to see up and cooking," he admitted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She frowned crossly.

"Oh now, don't take that the wrong way. I just…I'm pleasantly surprised."

"Well I kind of owe you. It's the least I can do." She offered, rolling her eyes at the standard phrase. Secretly, she had wanted to cook eggs for Troy more than she could remember wanting to do anything of late.

After his suggestion last night that they bed up together, she had suffered the most erotic dreams and woken early, hungry and desperate to clear her mind of the x-rated images that remained. Troy walking into the kitchen without his top on had not cooled her visions and she placed his plate down with a heavy thud to cover her new emotions.

"Wait till you taste them you might not be so happy if they taste like crap." She remarked.

He tried them and chewed dutifully. "They're great. Thank you, Gabi." He added.

How did he make thank you's seem so easy? Just like that he sprouted them out, like he genuinely felt thankful for her efforts in the kitchen. Why, whenever she had to thank anybody, did she just end up insulting them or pretending she didn't need help in the first place? She had to work on that, she realised. And she could start right now.

"Thank you for letting me stay." She said it quick and shovelled a forkful of eggs into her mouth, avoiding his eyes as he choked on his food a little, then recovered.

"You're welcome." He answered casually.

"And for yesterday. For dinner." She added, batting her lids down again as he stared at her, his lips twitching with amusement.

"Again, my pleasure." He assured.

"And for the other day, when you rescued me from that sleaze…" Her face creased in remembrance and he instantly wanted to hold her.

"I'd do it all again tomorrow." He promised gallantly, bringing her gaze to his where she relaxed into a huge smile, sharing his humour.

"Okay I suck at this…"

"No, you're doing pretty well," he nodded with recognition, touched by her belated words of gratitude.

She didn't quite feel ready to thank him for wading into the water and saving her life, she had too much to hide. Too much to ask.

"How does it feel, when you save someone from the water?" She asked then, coming out of her selfish bubble to think about him and his work.

A smile flitted across his lips as his eyes glazed over with pride. "It feels great. It feels like I've been allowed to give them a second chance." He described.

She nodded. "Did you feel like that when you…with me?" She ventured.

He met her gaze and held it. "For the first time ever, no."

"Because I shouted at you?" She asked with vulnerability.

"Because for the first time, I actually felt like the person I was rescuing didn't want to be rescued. I've never had to consider that before…"

"What if you don't rescue them? What if they die even if you pull them out?"

"Then it hurts. Sometimes for days, sometimes weeks. Some of them stay with me forever," he commented sadly, then smiled wryly. "But that's part of the job."

"How did you feel when you got rescued?" She asked.

"Like I had been given the second chance I give to so many others. I felt like an angel had dragged me out of those waves," he smiled in memory.

"But you don't remember it? Any of it?" She checked.

He shook his head. "Nope, wiped clean. All I know is that a girl got me out and saved my life and by the time the ambulance came she had already run away…"

Gabi nodded meeting his gaze fearfully. "Did you try to find her?"

"Every day. Every day I wanted to tell her how grateful I am that she pulled me out. I wanted her to know how much it meant to me that I could still save lives, that I could still enjoy the sunset and ride the waves, you know?" He mused.

"You do a great job, Troy. I wish I could save lives like you."

But she _had _and they both knew it, so why did she keep denying it?

"I wonder why she didn't want me to find her," he posed theoretically, playing her game.

"Maybe she has her reasons." Gabi suggested gently.

"But what could they be, I mean, that's a heroic thing to do, right?" He argued.

Gabi shrugged. "Who knows…"

"Promise me you won't walk into the water again like you did before," he said suddenly, surprising her.

She didn't answer, just sat frozen with fear that he had realised.

"Please, Gabi. Just promise me you'll talk to me first…" He begged.

"I have to get ready," she clipped, scooting from her seat at the table to escape.

"_Just tell me why you want to die…_" he whispered to himself.

The graveyard wasn't miserable like some graveyards were. Taylor's African roots had meant she was buried in a small church off Main Street, one that was decorated with red begonias and sweet peas climbing up the church walls, letting off their fragrant perfume.

Gabi had visited a few times. Mostly when she wanted to smoke in private without being caught. Nobody much came here, but as she crouched in front of the headstone that marked her best friend's place, she sensed other people milling around their own loved one's graves.

"Why did you have to go Tay?" She asked the granite book-shaped stone. "What am I meant to do now?"

Troy's request to stay out of the water had been too close to the bone for her to respond to. So far, things hadn't gone too badly with her new ally. He hadn't judged, hadn't preached and hadn't tried it on. But right now she might take any of those things- or all of them- if it meant he didn't try and work her out. No-one could work her out, that was the problem. She didn't even know who she was anymore so really, he had no hope.

It confused her that he wanted to try. He was new in town; surely he didn't need the extra burden of some stray 'drug addict' who tried to drown herself?

But his concern was evident and his easy nature and instant care for her were kind of intriguing. She'd never had anyone care about her like that. Especially since the accident.

She sighed at the stone ahead of her and her thoughts brought her back to that day. The day she was working in Emergencies, bustling about like always when the RTA had been notified, warning them all of an influx of injuries. Only she never thought she would have to face the bodies of her friends, bruised and battered. And she definitely never thought she would have to witness them dying.

She closed her eyes, shutting her mind to the pain once more.

_Maybe Troy was right. Maybe she should start opening up and stop bottling it in…_

Her deep breath brought another wave of the sweet scent of flowers and she opened her eyes again, wishing her best friend were right beside her so she could talk to her about _everything,_ just like they used to. Not having Taylor was like losing an arm- her sidekick; friend, confidante and sister had played such a big part in her life, why could no-one see how much she had lost?

She felt a pang of guilt for not thinking about Jason. Sure, they had dated. It never got to the stage where it went past kissing but Gabi had loved him too, in some small way. She knew she was getting antsy, she knew she wasn't ready for anything more and if things had stayed as they were- she could see now that they would have split up a few weeks later.

The fact he had died too was crushing. She might not miss him in the way she missed Tay but the four of them had been like the Musketeers and now she had no-one- not even Chad.

It hurt to think that she would never have his friendship again but right now she had to let him grieve in his own way and that meant staying apart. If only she wasn't sharing an apartment with his co-worker, she mused.

Her thoughts returning to Troy, she acknowledged she couldn't keep taking from him without giving back. She might be selfish and angry and rude to everyone she met but he had done more for her in the last week than anyone had done since the accident.

"He's really cute, Tay," Gabi whispered to the stone. "I think you woulda liked him…"

In fact, she _knew_ Tay would have liked him. Who wouldn't? She smiled as she rolled her eyes up at her thoughts. Those blue eyes still wouldn't leave her and she marvelled once more at the co-incidence of him coming to town.

As the breeze breathed across the yard, Gabi heard a silent question that floated from deep in her mind. _Why don't you tell him why you were there that day you saved him?_

"He already thinks I'm crazy." She told Taylor to answer her own mind. "He already saw me try and drown. What's he gonna think if he knew I did it twice?"

The answer was unknown and she couldn't quite work out why it held so much importance. She shouldn't give a crap what he thought but being sprung once by him was enough. The day she saved him she had planned never to see him again and to wipe the whole thing from her mind.

_Why did you try again then?_ The devil on her shoulder jabbed.

"Because I miss you until it hurts and I can't take the pain anymore…" She beseeched her dead friend. "Tell me what to do…"

She knew what she should do. She should go home and tell Troy everything. But that wasn't going to happen. It was too much of a risk. He was the only friend she had right now who wasn't willing to put her in the loony bin and she wasn't about to endanger that.

"Damn, I forgot my joint…" She murmured to herself checking her pockets. Perhaps there was another reason to go home after all. She sure could use a smoke right now.

"Troy? Are you home?" Gabi swung the door open, using his spare key to let herself in.

"Hello, Gabriella." Gina Montez greeted from the sofa, sitting primly in wait.

Gabi opened her mouth and blinked in shock. "Hello, mom."

"What are you doing here?" Gabi asked as she came right into the room and frowned at her parent.

"You don't honestly think I wouldn't find out about your…shenanigans, did you?" She enquired haughtily.

"And what 'shenanigans' would they be?" Gabi returned edgily, keeping her face emotionless and her movements fluid as she walked over and flopped into a chair.

"Smoking dope. Refusing treatment. Sleeping rough…" She arched her brows.

"Martha." Gabi guessed easily, knowing her friend and mother were in contact since her admittance to Goldmore. Gina had asked Martha to 'keep an eye on her' which had translated into spying and telling tales.

"Why don't you come home now, darling? You've had your fun, its time to face facts." Gina suggested gently, shifting forward in her seat a little.

"And what facts would those be, exactly?" Gabi asked with a snarl.

"You can't keep acting like a college student, bumming off your friends…or strangers who are kind enough to take you off the beach," she added knowingly.

"I just moved in here, mom. Troy is my friend, ok?" Gabi answered quickly, albeit slightly untruthful. She had no idea how Troy felt towards her but right now she didn't care.

"Hardly." Gina contested. "It's obvious you're using him the same way you used everyone else- to take advantage of and sponge off until he has enough and kicks you out, too. Come home where we can make you better…"

"Make me better?" Gabi squinted, and then stood up. "Where have you been, mom? For _three months?_" Gabi challenged.

"I paid for your therapy, didn't I?" Gina remarked.

"Because that replaces having a _mom,_ doesn't it?" Gabi spat.

"Go get your things." Gina replied.

"No." Gabi folded her arms across her body, setting her mouth.

"It's not a request, Gabriella. Pack your bag, you're coming with me."

"No way." Gabi said again. "Troy's taking care of me."

"Then he must be stupid." Gina stood up too. "I mean it, Gabriella. I'm not going anywhere without you."

"Then this is gonna be some cosy threesome because I am staying right here!" Gabi repeated, screwing up her face with her anger. "You can't tell me what to do anymore!"

"Can't I?" She enquired, and then lifted a brow.

The bedroom door swung open to reveal Troy, freshly showered and dressed in sweatpants with a vest, towelling his hair. He hadn't heard the voices over the shower so when he came out he was still speaking to Gabi's mother, not seeing his new friend as he dried his hair.

"So, do you want me to make up a bed for you, Mrs Montez?" He asked, cutting into the argument that froze the air in the room. He seemed to realise then that there was another presence and he looked around meekly, shooting his lips up at the corners to offer a bland smile. "Oh, hi. I didn't realise you were home."

"Hear that, mom? _Home_." Gabi arced at the older version of herself. "This is my home."

"Troy, you've been very kind I'm sure and I thank you for your generosity but Gabriella cannot stay here any longer. She is coming home with me." Gina stated, never moving her eyes from her tempestuous daughter.

Troy quickly shot a look to Gabi, a strange kick in his gut at the thought she was leaving.

"Oh…" Before he could speak, Gabi butted in.

"I'm not going anywhere." She insisted.

"Get your things, darling. You're embarrassing yourself."

"The only one who is embarrassing is you! For coming in here and trying to drag me home like some five year old!" Gabi shouted, throwing her arms around animatedly.

"Troy doesn't want you here." Gina threw back and Gabi sucked in a gasp, looking to him quickly.

"Hey wait a minute…" He began, confirming Gabi's suspicion that her mom was lying.

"Don't say a word." Gabi shook her head to him begging him to follow her request so she could assert herself once and for all. "Mom, you have to leave now."

"You really want a homeless druggie on your hands?" Gina asked Troy.

His steely blue eyes lasered her through his dark, curly lashes. "You don't know your own daughter, Mrs. Montez." He replied levelly.

Gina sighed. "And you think you do?"

"Gabi is welcome here." He added, flicking looks between the two dark haired beauties and wondering what the dynamics of their relationship were. Had he done the right thing in backing Gabi? Maybe he would never know, but Gina retreated all the same at his declaration.

"Then I suppose I must leave alone." Gina clenched her teeth. "Goodnight Mr. Bolton."

"Don't ask…" Gabi said quickly, heading off any chance for questions.

"Don't ask?" he returned, bemusedly. "I just saved your butt, I think the least you can do is tell me what the heck is going on."

"So I owe you now?" She turned on him, her fiery eyes smarting from the encounter still.

"Hey…" He complained, coming toward her with his hands outstretched.

"What do you want Troy?" She beseeched, jamming her hands onto her hips. Her denim skirt clashed with the silver shirt and orange jumper she was wearing with it.

He paused, flicking his gaze over her, knowing how much he wanted to help her. He squinted, choosing his words.

"Just to be a friend." He answered.

"Friends don't pry." She answered cagily.

"So it means nothing to you?" He challenged.

Gabi swallowed, feeling guilt peel up her skin, leaving her top lip damp as she met his intruding gaze and battled to hold it without blinking.

"It means nothing to you that I just got your mom off your back when you so _desperately _wanted to get rid of her that you used me as an excuse?" He said again.

"I didn't use you…" She argued, only to be cut off again.

"Right." He nodded, and then flipped his damp towel onto the glass coffee table before he went through to the kitchen.

"Hey, don't be like that!" Gabi argued, following him. "You know nothing about me!"

He blew a laughing breath out that fidgeted his drying fringe. "You don't tell me anything!"

"Well, I might! But I don't feel comfortable yet…" She sulked; annoyed that he was busying himself making a snack while she tried to defend herself.

"You don't feel comfortable…" He repeated, looking up from his sandwich making. "What does that even mean?"

"It means you have to wait, okay? You have to give me time," she stormed up beside him and swallowed. "Please?"

It was only one word. One small, common word that people uttered hundreds of times a day. But from her, in the desperate tone she used, it paused him from his action and brought a breath into his lungs. He turned his head toward her and flicked his eyes to her lips, then back to her dark eyes that swirled with emotion.

"Okay," he agreed softly.

"Okay?" She asked back, surprised at his trust.

"Yeah." He lifted his brows. "That's what you want isn't it?"

She blinked with her awkwardness. "I didn't expect you to say yes."

He couldn't help the smile that curved his mouth. "Me either."

"Then why did you?" She wondered, intrigued.

"Something about a pair of pretty chocolate eyes I can't say no to…" He let his smile flash into a grin.

"Oh," she blushed, and then swallowed to bolster herself, jutting her chin up defiantly. "Well, a woman's wiles and all that…"

He fixed her with a look and smirked. "You sure know how to use them."

They sat and watched a DVD. Gabi could still remember the days she and Taylor used to do exactly that, curled up on the sofa, painting nails and scoffing chips.

"Do you want me to go?" Gabi wondered, sitting with her arms folded beside him, flicking her eyes sideways so she didn't have to face him while he answered.

"Didn't I answer this already?" He asked back.

"Tell me honestly…" She pleaded.

"No. I don't want you to go." He assured and she turned then to look at him, pressing her plump lips together.

"Why not?"

"You know, you are the most confusing girl I ever met…" He remarked in puzzlement.

"Nobody else wants me, why should you?" She wondered bitterly.

Troy tipped his head then reached toward her, touching her shoulder. "Don't give up on hope," he murmured.

"I think I already did." She mused, unfolding her arms to put her hands awkwardly in her lap, as though she wanted to reach out and touch him, too.

"Then we'll get it back. We'll work together and work it out…" He suggested, spreading his fingers consolingly, and then brushing the backs of them down her hair.

"Would you really do that?" She wondered, looking up, her face posed with vulnerability and showing her young age.

"Absolutely." He nodded once.

Gabi watched him for a minute while he watched her and she felt something deep inside that she recognised as desire. He sure had a handsome face, she mused as she smiled felinely.

"You are a very handsome man, Troy Bolton." She stated, letting him glimpse a chink of her real personality. "I'm surprised you don't have a girl."

He looked back to the screen the same time she did, taking a sigh.

"My friend Nina back home said the same." He shared.

"Your life cannot be more complicated than mine…" she commented. "So 'fess up. Why aren't you married with lots of little Troy's?"

He shrugged. "I guess after my accident I felt like life was so precious. I guess I'm worried about losing someone I love."

She looked to him, noting his trust once more. It took guts to share like that.

"I know how you feel. I guess _I'm _worried about someone getting attached to me…" she said in reverse.

"And leaving them behind?" He enquired knowingly.

"You promised." She accused softly.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" He asked instead.

She shrugged, slumped down in the chair.

"Come to work with me," he suggested.

"I didn't think I was allowed on the beach." She accused drily.

He flopped his head to one side and pursed his lips cutely. "Are you gonna be like this the whole time?" He teased.

"Maybe." She pressed her lips together, and then broke into a smile.

"You can help me round up the kids and watch for jellyfish," he persisted.

She swallowed and met his gaze. "Okay." She nodded, much in the same way he had agreed her request for time.

"Okay." He nodded again, another cute little gesture he had that she was beguiled by.

"Tanning here I come…"


	6. Disappointed

Emily-Jayne are you still out there? :)

**6**

"You're wearing _that_?" Troy's mouth went dry at the sight of Gabi's black and white zigzag bikini as she stretched out and slipped her large dark glasses on.

"Uh-huh," she agreed, shaking out her hair behind her and posing attractively on her towel, appealing for attention.

"Gabi…"

"What?" She asked, agitated as he blocked her sun and cast a shadow over her body.

"I thought you came to help me?"

"No, you thought I came to help you." She adjusted. "I came to sunbathe."

He frowned, shaken by her sudden change of heart, wondering where the real Gabi went when she was being like this.

"Right…" He nodded, blinking once more against the sight of her famous curves displayed so perfectly in those scraps of cotton.

Obviously he'd been wrong, he thought as he walked away. Obviously she couldn't be saved and didn't want to be. Obviously the glimpse of the amazing girl he had seen last night was nothing more than a mirage and…

"Why did you do that?" She demanded, grabbing his arm and spinning him round in the sand, her dark, wavy hair streaking around her shoulders in the breeze.

"What?" He asked back, puzzled.

"Look at me like you were disappointed?" Her hands planted on her rounded hips and he fought his urge to look down her body.

"Maybe I was," he mused.

"Since when did you get disappointed in me, Troy?" She argued.

"Maybe I'm not disappointed in _you_. Maybe I'm disappointed because I thought today would be a good chance to hang out and get to know each other. Maybe I thought it would be nice to make some friends here and learn about my new home," he posed.

"_Is_ that why you're disappointed?" She checked sliding her glasses up to perch on her head, fixing him with her brown eyes.

He shrugged. "Maybe."

His real disappointment _was _with her but for some reason he didn't have the heart to tell her. She looked so damned hurt at the possibility he might be let down by her actions, he felt like he should cover his real emotions. He was soon learning her hurt was covered by her anger and he didn't expect to be target for it.

She smirked her mouth and looked away, toward the sea, her fists still on her hips and while she wasn't looking he allowed himself the downward peek he had been dying to do before.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked.

"I have to go end to end and check for activity," he explained. "I thought maybe you'd like to walk with me and tell me about this place…"

_Walk? Really? She didn't think she walked anywhere just to chat about things._

"Sure, okay." She agreed lightly, following him on his duty.

"At least this way Chad won't see you." He added with a smile.

"Ah, my biggest supporter…" She joked with an eye roll.

"So is it true, about the drugs?" He wondered.

"I thought this walk was to learn about Albuquerque not about me."

"Okay, I'm sorry. Tell me about this beach…" he questioned instead.

"I'm not an addict." She answered his first question, surprising him. "Or a junkie. In fact, I never did hard drugs at all."

She knew in telling him that much she would have to reveal the real reason she was in 'rehab' and that came hand in hand with telling him the truth. But it was important he knew she wasn't a drug user at least. She could keep the rest a mystery for now.

"Just pot?" He smirked.

She held up a small loaded rizla and smiled naughtily. "Will you tell anyone if I smoke it?"

"What are you doing..?" He opened his mouth, surprised at her audacity. She put a finger to her lips and grabbed his hand, pulling him down the beach toward the cliff, expertly picking across the rocks to find a hidden alcove.

"No surfers stranded here. Good job we checked." She winked, lighting her cigarette.

"Good job." He echoed quietly.

She flicked her eyes to him, smiling as the warm buzz threaded through her. "Oh god, you have that look again."

"What look?" he asked tersely.

"Like I've disappointed you again." She said knowingly.

"No, I'm just…" he sighed. "I don't know." He shrugged.

"You can say if you are. Everyone else does."

"I was actually thinking how beautiful you look stood there on the rock…" He admitted.

"Even with smoke coming out of my mouth?" She challenged.

"Even then." He agreed easily, capturing her attention.

"You look pretty cute in your lifeguard outfit." She smiled back teasingly.

"You want some?" She held out her drugged cigarette with a smile when he remained quiet.

"People's lives depend on my clear judgement." He stated, licking his lips.

"You need to live a little, have a little fun," she complained, climbing back down the rock.

"That's easy for you to say…" He challenged as he followed.

"Not really." She counter-acted, flicking her head to look back on him as he followed.

"This job can be fun, but it's also very serious." He explained.

"Well, it's also boring, so what do we do now?" She wondered impatiently.

"You can wait for me on the beach if you like. I'll come up when it's my break." He offered.

"Sure," she agreed easily, heading back.

/

He rolled his Beach Watch t-shirt up to his arm pits and plopped into the sand, baring his abs to the sun where the soft spring rays warmed his skin. They were possibly the best abs she had ever seen, Gabi mused as she pursed her lips when she had a sudden urge to lean over and kiss that hard plane, wondering how he would react.

She cleared her throat and kept her gaze at sea, hiding behind her shades. Thankfully she could sneak glances without him noticing because his chest was captivating her and she didn't like how.

_Pull your top back down, Bolton, _She begged silently. _You have no right teasing the female population this way…_

"Hi Troy." A pretty brunette approached, greeting her male companion. Troy slipped his glasses up to his hair and squinted into the sun.

"Hey, Venetia." He smiled. "Where's Max?" he asked of her dog that usually accompanied her.

"He's home with my flat mate. Do you have plans for lunch? I thought I could take you to the restaurant for some food…" She invited.

Gabi looked up at the intruder and stared through her glasses. "Ahem, hello?"

"Oh, hi." Venetia greeted, pretending to be unaware of Troy's sun-buddy.

"Is it not obvious he's here with me?" She asked rudely of her new friend.

Troy frowned at her amusedly and faced back to Venetia. "Ignore her. I'm free, see you about two?" He checked.

"Do I get an invite?" Gabi demanded while the pair of them smiled at each other like two inane kids.

"No." Venetia replied succinctly with a gloating smile before she walked away, leaving Gabi gaping for breath.

"What the…" She gasped.

"You can't blame her for that, you _were_ rude." He pointed out.

"She's coming on to you and you're laying right there beside me!" Gabi huffed.

"But we're not together…"

"She didn't know that." Gabi clenched her teeth.

"Are you _jealous_?" He enquired, turning back to her and smiling goadingly.

"No," she sulked, crossing her arms over her bikini clad breasts and pushing the mounds of flesh up.

"Right," he nodded knowingly.

"I just got you and she's taking you away already." She added sulkily.

"You just got me? I'm not a toy…" He mused.

"You know what I mean. I just got used to… having you around." She admitted.

"Having me around?" He repeated annoyingly.

"God are you deaf?" She accused quickly. "Or just annoying?"

"Maybe both," he shrugged. "But you have to share me; I'm not here for your pleasure."

He couldn't have chosen the words better if he tried. Gabi had trouble imagining how he _couldn't _be her pleasure with a body like his.

"Oh I don't know…" She smiled.

He blinked slowly, silently asking what she meant as he pursed his lips. "Are you trying to dupe me into spending my entire day with you?"

"Nope. You should go to lunch with little miss hot-ass." Gabi stood up and flapped her towel out. I have a date with that surf dude right… there-" she pointed toward the waves.

"Gabi…" He tilted his head, knowing he had inadvertently hurt her feelings.

"See you later, Troy. Don't wait up." She winked.

/

"Shh!" Gabi giggled, stumbling into the doorway of Troy's apartment, her hand grasped around the wrist of Ryan, an old friend from High School.

"Hey! I'm not the one who's merry and falling over!" He teased affectionately.

"Oh, like that is it?" She planted her hands on her hips and squared up to him.

"It's true!" He held up his hands in surrender, his pale silver eyes shining with humour. "You hit the vodka pretty hard…"

She shrugged and pushed her lips together and out. "I'm young. Aren't I allowed to have fun?"

"Of course you can." The blonde man smiled, stepping toward Gabi as she faltered again in her black hot pants and over-the-knee boots.

"Ouch!" She stumbled on the rug by the sofa and clattered to the floor noisily.

Ryan laughed out loud at her demise and she giggled in a heap on the floor as he stood over her and tried to pick her up.

"Shh!" She put her fingers to her shaking lips, struggling to breathe through her seizure of laughter.

"What the heck is going on..?" Troy rubbed his eye tiredly, trekking out from his room in his long sleep shorts and nothing else.

"Oh, shit," Gabi gasped, laughing harder at being caught, only imagining what the scene before Troy looked like. She, wriggling around on the carpet in her sexy shorts and Ryan above her, trying to grab her.

Troy looked to Ryan and lifted a brow expectantly. "What's going on?" he asked again, more firmly, his husky voice taking on a protective tone.

"Hi, I'm Ryan," The small blonde man smiled; instantly putting Troy at ease as he stepped over Gabi's giggling body to shake hands.

"Hi." Troy nodded.

"Its okay, we know each other…" he explained. "We met up in town and I brought her home."

"I'm still here you know!" Gabi called, crawling onto her knees to look up through her messy hair that covered her face from her previous collapse.

Troy watched her with a stirring in his belly from his attraction to her, even now when she was clearly drunk as a skunk and a crawling mess of hair.

"So I see." He remarked, looking back to Ryan with an open gaze. "Thanks for bringing her home."

"You're welcome." Ryan smiled again. "Take care of her."

Troy nodded as the blonde man receded, leaning down to hug Gabi who took that as a chance to try and stand up, only to fall back on her butt again.

"I'll leave it to you," Ryan winked as he left more quietly than he had entered.

"Good night, huh?" Troy asked as he padded across to Gabi, rubbing his fingers across his mouth.

She smiled hugely. "It was awesome!"

"Hmm…" He calculated her position and knelt down on one knee beside her, shifting his coffee table back to reach. "You better take my bed tonight."

"Nope!" She held a finger up, squinting at him to try and focus on his blurring face. "I'll be fine…"

"Humour me." He insisted, leaning over to scoop her up. "Put your arms round my neck," he instructed.

She frowned sulkily, knowing she had to comply unless she wanted to sleep on the rug. She conceded and put her arms around his lovely neck, flicking her eyes over his handsome face as he rose with her in his arms as though she weighed nothing. Her lips parted in awe and she felt a natural sexual attraction tug at her insides at his manliness as he carried her so beautifully through to his room. Her inhibitions removed, her defences weakened, she rested her head into the crook of his neck that called for her to snuggle against and she let out a comforted sigh. _This was nice. Why couldn't life always be nice like this? Full of strength and comfort and friendship?_

Troy closed his eyes and breathed in her smoky-sweet smell as he pushed against his door and paused. For a few seconds he could actually imagine she wanted to be there in his arms and then he opened his eyes and smiled, remembering the vodka had a lot to answer for.

"Okay here you go…" he flipped down his duvet with one hand, laying her in the space gently and waiting until she reluctantly let go. She laid there and stared at him with big vulnerable brown eyes as he twitched his lips against his urge to kiss her.

"Can you help me with my shoes?" She begged in a girly voice, bemusing him.

"Sure," he agreed, finding the zips to her boots and carefully slipping them off, distracted by the sight of her thighs in those shorts. Her body was surely built for sin, he mused. His thoughts were nothing but sinful as he flicked his gaze over her, her upper half covered with a black lace bodysuit and a velvet purple cropped jacket.

She wrestled out of the jacket awkwardly, accepting his help to rid the item and once he had pulled the duvet up she slipped off her shorts, too.

"Will you stay?" She begged softly as he turned to go.

He sucked in a breath at her request, flicking a look down her tiny form covered in his bed and wanting nothing more, but before he could answer, she let out a soft 'oh god' and sat up straight in the bed, throwing her feet the floor as she made a quick beeline for his bathroom, carefully kneeling on the floor as she grasped the toilet seat and vomited up the alcohol she had consumed.

He followed and winced from the doorway, watching her small body sicking up the spirits with violent repetition.

He quickly grabbed her hair tie from the bathroom shelf and filled the toothbrush glass with fresh water, kneeling behind her to capture her hair from her face and prevent any of it being coated in sick. His large hands hesitantly touched her shoulders, stroking down her back and hair as he murmured soothing words and when she was too tired to wretch anymore she slumped on the toilet seat with relief.

"I have some water," he suggested gently, reminding her she couldn't pass out there even though she wanted to.

She rolled her head to one side, and then lifted it, the dull ache and flashing before her eyes paining her.

"Thank you," she husked, her throat raw as she took the glass and sipped, aware of his strong warm body behind her, shadowing her and soothing her.

"Ready to get up?" He checked and she nodded, feeling chastised by her actions.

He helped her to stand, receiving another look from those eyes that he couldn't decipher so he smiled softly on her small, wrecked form and tried his hardest not to make the most of her scant outfit.

"I can walk." She insisted of his hold on her, guiding her almost.

"Sure, sorry…" he let go quickly, running a hand into his hair awkwardly as she carefully made her way back to bed and crawled in like a little girl after a long day out.

"Goodnight Troy." She said emptily, flipping over on the bed to showcase her back.

He lifted his brows in shock, and then sighed out. "Goodnight." He replied.


	7. I get it

Hey Emily-Jane :) No that's not weird, someone else I know does that, which gets me thinking I must get published!

**Happy New Year Everyone! Thanks for the support in 2010 and see you in 2011!**

Ang

**7**

She was definitely a mermaid, he smiled in his sleep. All greens and blues and purples just like the waves she lived in. He didn't have to catch her this time; they were embracing, and kissing with their heads above the surface and he could feel her tail flash against his legs. She smiled beguilingly and flicked her tail as she swam off, lending him to follow. She went toward shore and lay in the shallow water while he squinted at her confusedly.

She was telling him goodbye. She had saved him from whatever had forced him out to sea and now she was leaving him to live the rest of his life on shore. But he wanted to be with _her_. Tail or not. Only she wouldn't let him. He frowned as she slipped away and no matter how deep he paddled or how much he swam up and down, she wasn't there...And she wasn't coming back.

"Gabi!" He sucked a breath in through his nose as he woke sharply, disorientated by his dream. She was knelt beside him, stroking his hair and he was surprised she was there.

"Its okay, you just had a bad dream again," she explained gently.

"It was about you." He said without thinking.

"Had to be bad then," she mused sleepily.

"No, you were beautiful," he said next, still dazed.

"Wow, the power of unconsciousness." She smarted, rising to leave.

"Don't go," he begged roughly, causing her to look back with surprise.

"Earlier you didn't want to…" she wondered.

"You're sober now." He remarked knowingly.

She should have been insulted but she wasn't. She could see the dangers of him sharing sleeping space with her while she was under the influence, she certainly would have taken advantage of the situation and ruined their friendship.

She turned back and watched as he flipped up his duvet, revealing his attractive chest to her and a body she could snuggle for days if she was allowed. She tiredly blinked twice and then slipped into the space beside him, her own small body now covered with pyjama shorts and a racer vest.

"It seems a bit soon to be sharing beds." She sighed as she snuggled closer, not knowing quite where to put her hands.

He wrapped his arm around her and folded the other under his head. "You _can _touch me you know," he said of her awkwardness with her hands.

"That's a dangerous invitation," she remarked, finally curling her fingers into her palms and resting them against his ribs.

He frowned quizzically at her comment but she didn't stir so he relaxed back into sleep, smiling softly as he felt her shuffle, her small soft body pressed into his deliciously as he found his way back to sleep.

She didn't leave after all. His mermaid came home.

/

"Hey Chad!" Troy called out to his buddy on the sand. "Have you seen Gabi?"

"Nope. Don't tell me you fell for her charade already?

_He'd fallen for her,_ Troy mused. But not in the way Chad was intimating. He'd fallen hard and fast in love with her at about 3am when she had woken and fidgeted and then burst into soulful sobs, seeking his embrace for comfort.

He'd given it freely, holding her tight and secure in his arms as he'd rested his lips against her hair and soothed her with soft words.

His chest had ached as he fought to comfort her and he'd become a little too addicted to the way she felt there against his muscled body, her hair invading his hands.

_So where was she? _He wondered. He'd thought the very same thing this morning when he'd woken alone, testily tightening his arms to find she was no longer there. She was no longer anywhere. Her, and her things, were gone.

"Do you know where she might be?" Troy asked Chad next.

"Probably at the next street corner shooting crack," Chad replied starkly.

"You do know she doesn't do drugs?" Troy checked gently.

"Yeah, right."

"It's true. Dude, she's been living with me for three days and the only thing she touched was some weed."

Chad hesitated in his next come back, his eyes squinting unsurely. "That's it? Nothing else?"

"I swear."

"No withdrawal symptoms?" Chad asked.

Troy tilted his head and gave him a look. "No."

Chad remained silent as his eyes flicked across the populated beach, searching for problems to solve.

"Then I guess it's time I found out what's going on." He conceded.

"I know she misses you." Troy offered.

"She told you?" Chad was surprised.

"She's not the person you think she is," he assured.

"Then you should go look for her. So she doesn't hurt herself." Chad suggested.

"I have no idea where to start…" He sighed.

"I do," Chad looked to him.

/

Denny's was a strange place. A mixture of day time diner-cafe and evening pub/restaurant.

Chad had informed Troy that it was the place the four of them always came, _before._

As he stood outside, Troy took a deep breath in, smelling the fried oily food and the exhaust fumes of the city's pollution. He never did like cities, he mused. He'd rather smell the salt water and fresh fish any day. But she was there. Laughing away without a care in the world with a captivated audience of one.

The guy wasn't the same guy from last night- who Troy quickly filed as unthreatening in his mental records. This guy was being very _familiar-_ almost like he was flirting and Troy felt a little kick of jealousy as he pushed open the diner door and sauntered in, heading straight for the stunning Mexican dressed in a green shorts-suit and sky high red sandals; her hair long and gorgeous down her back as she cupped her chin and listened attentively to her equally dark partner.

"You moved out, then." He said, bringing her attention up and that of the dark-skinned man before her. He had to give her credit, she didn't even blink.

"How did you find me?" But there was a tremor in her cold voice.

He shrugged. "Lucky guess."

"I found somewhere else to stay." She explained when he didn't move.

"Oh? Where's that?" He asked with interest.

"I'm sorry dude, is there a problem?" The man with Gabi asked.

"Not with you. I'd just like to know where my _wife_ plans on sleeping tonight if that's OK," he replied, his eyes never leaving Gabi's face.

"Your wife?" The man spluttered sharply, causing Gabi to cuss under her breath.

"Oh god, Troy, this is so not what you think," she quickly stood holding her hand to his chest. "Marco, we're not married." She added to her friend.

"I'm not leaving." Troy insisted.

Gabi rolled her eyes. "Troy, I'd like you to meet my _brother_, Marco. Marco, Troy." She introduced.

"Your…brother?" Troy frowned.

Gabi nodded, rolling her eyes ceiling ward again.

"You could have just told me," he accused and she knew then that she had hurt him. The protective shield was down and his blue eyes revealed his true emotions.

"Let's go outside…" She suggested. "I'm sorry Marco," she added to her brother.

"It's ok little sis. I have to get back to work anyway. See you later." He nodded to Troy as he slipped from his seat and left them both awkwardly fidgeting.

"It's sweet that you came here but I can take care of myself." She insisted.

"So how come you didn't go to your brother before?" He wondered.

"I didn't go to him. He came to me. And now he's going to want to know why I'm living with a man he knows nothing about," she sighed.

He frowned. "I still don't understand…"

"I choose not to live at home," was all she said.

"But they don't like you living with strange men?"

"This is why I don't tell you anything Troy. Because my life is…complicated." She huffed.

_Yeah, he could see that…_

"So you're staying with your brother?" He asked with a swallow.

She shrugged, scooping the frosting from her cake with her finger and closing her lips around it to suck the sugar coating.

"Then why don't you come home?" He asked next.

She sighed and pressed her chin to her shoulder, finally looking up at him beside her.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Honestly? Yeah, a little. I was worried." He admitted.

"But you don't even know me," she shook her head.

"Does that mean I don't care?" He enquired, surprising her.

"You shouldn't." She opposed.

"Well, I do." He shrugged. "Deal with it."

She smiled at his assertiveness and let it fade as her words became serious. "I _am _sorry." She hedged, then, "I just got scared."

"I get it," he assured. "I get a lot more than you think."

She looked to him, her chocolate eyes resigned. "I know. That's what scares me."

/

The car ride home was strangely quiet. Each of them had their own thoughts to master and Gabi was avoiding revealing any more about her vulnerability where Troy was concerned. That night, in his arms, she'd felt like she could spend every one of her nights being held that way; like she were the only girl he cared about and that feeling was frightening to her.

She knew, though, that he would ask more questions only she was tired and cagey from her new-found feelings and she didn't feel like talking.

"So what is the deal with your family?" He wondered as they came back inside his apartment where he placed her suitcase down.

"I'd rather not talk about it." She replied tersely.

"You don't want to talk about anything, Gabi," he accused softly. "I don't know anything about you."

"I thought this was a no-strings deal?" She asked back.

He shrugged, throwing his truck keys to the side. "Sure, but seeing as we live together now, it would be nice to at least have an idea where you come from and what the heck is going on that would make you want to leave home." He asked pointedly.

She looked away and sighed. "Why do you keep pushing me?"

"Because I want to know you. I want to know about the things no-one else knows. I want to know what makes you laugh or cry and I'm sorry if you think that's pushy. I just…" he paused, not knowing what else to say.

"You don't understand how hard it is for me," she began emotionally.

"How can I? You don't tell me!" he shot back.

"I tell you it's hard and it's not enough!" She swirled, her dark eyes bright with anger.

"What's hard Gabi? What's hard about telling me about you?" He insisted.

"There's too much to know. It's best you know nothing." She folded her arms.

"Best for who?" He wondered, coming toward her. Her eyes shot to him nervously and she wondered if he was going to force the words out of her.

"Best for me, okay? Yeah, I really am that selfish bitch you didn't think I was capable of being!"

"I don't believe that for one second." He denied, right before her now, stalking and ready to pounce. She frowned, feeling everything was out of her control as she quickly read his intention and did nothing to stop him coming closer.

"Don't even _think_ about it…" She warned quickly right before he wrapped his arms right around her and hitched her up against his body where she wriggled to be free.

"Why not? You want to kiss me as much as I want to kiss you." He stated, planting his lips on hers firmly and stealing the kiss she was fighting. Her small hands pushed at his chest and suckered him from her body.

"How dare you!" Her eyes burned with fire and he knew it wasn't anger at all she was feeling, it was the same heated passion that swelled his groin. "You have no right to just _grab _me and…"

He kissed her again, more softly this time, taking her face in both his palms and allowing her the freedom to move. Only she didn't. She stiffened for a minute, put her hands against his chest in semi-protest and then she moaned in pleasure and ran her hands up around his neck, pressing her body to his as their kiss deepened and he wished he had done this a long time ago.

His hands dropped, allowing his fingers to tease the hem of her shorts, his warm fingers brushing her sensitive skin there right before he cupped her beautiful backside and drew her ever closer, into his aching groin where she pressed closer in agreement.

_But she could kiss,_ he mused as their tongues touched and whirled and his head span too with the happy adrenaline filling his veins.

She let out a muffled protest and broke away, panting heavily as she stared at him in awe, wondering what had just happened in those few moments where they'd left the ground and been flying somewhere else.

"What do you put in those kisses?" She whispered confusedly.

"I could ask you the same thing…" He returned with a smile.

She broke away from his body, the buzzing need across her skin becoming too much to bear as his temptingly muscled body pressed against hers. At least with some distance she might be able to think straight.

He watched her go and wondered if she would leave again, after they had experienced such a spontaneously combustible first kiss. He tilted his head as she plonked herself on the sofa and tried to make sense of their chemistry, running it through her mind with visible unease.

"I'll get you some bedding." He suggested finally when she didn't look his way again after several moments and that brought her gaze up, her mouth opening as if in protest.

_Go on; ask me,_ he begged silently. _Ask me if you can share my bed again._

"Thank you." Was all she had and he smirked at his wishful thoughts as he went to get the sheets.

/

The dawn of a new day was always a miraculous thing and this one held no less meaning to Troy as he stood and drank in the view of the beach along with his coffee. He hadn't wanted to wake his guest- who shared his panoramic patio windows- so he'd slipped behind the curtains and stood now between them and the glass patio doors, appreciating everything he had right now, in this moment.

_Thank you._ He silently praised whoever was listening as he reminded himself how lucky he was to be alive to enjoy the splendour before him.

"What are you doing?" Her dry, sleepy voice pierced his soulful ode to the world from behind.

"Watching the world wake up." He replied, not moving.

"You're behind the curtain," she mused, flipping open the end to arch a brow at him. He smiled softly at her, loving her cranky face even first thing in the morning.

"I didn't want to wake you." He explained.

She slid down the narrow space even though she could whip the drapes open and he smiled bemusedly at her wanting to join him and see what he was seeing.

"It's the beach." She looked up to him.

"Oh no, it's much more than that," he insisted, pointing out the highlights to her. The gull on the coastal breeze, looking for breakfast, the sun laced behind the clouds and dulled by their wisps of moisture, the spray as the waves crashed, fizzing excitedly at the end of their journey. She saw it all through his eyes and was awed by his outlook.

She smiled up at him until he blushed. "What?" He complained.

"Nothing. You just surprise me sometimes, that's all." She admitted, leaning against his arm. He took the hint and wrapped it around her shoulders and she hugged him around the waist affectionately, shocking him even more.

"Are you okay?" He checked.

She nodded against his chest but he felt there was more to her agreement so he swooped down to rid his coffee cup and then encased her fully into his arms.

"You're not are you?" He murmured as she burrowed close.

"You're right, my family _is _a difficult thing to talk about and there are a few reasons why." She sighed. "First off, my dad left us when I was twelve. That might not be such a bad thing if he'd never been around but I was daddies little girl and then bam, gone. I still don't know why," she swallowed and he brushed his hands up and down her back in support.

"That doesn't give you much closure." He commented.

"Exactly. And I guess I blamed mom. It was immature and obvious but it's what I did and we _never _got on, which is why when she came here, I didn't want to see her. She never even came to see me after Tay died. She never asked me if I was ok. She just heard I wasn't doing so good and she paid for me to go to rehab." She explained further.

"Rehab?" He asked, wondering if she would finally tell him.

"Yeah. For trying to commit suicide. Not drugs, like everyone thinks." She closed her eyes and let the trails of pain slide down her face as she admitted all her sordid secrets to the only person she believed might understand- or at least who might not judge her and have her readmitted.

"That day in the sea, when I rescued you- you did that before didn't you?" He prompted.

She nodded, "When I saved you."

She looked up, her face wet with tears. "You were right, I was there that day and I lied to you because I didn't want you to know what kind of person I was. I didn't want you to know that I'd done it before," she added.

"What stopped you?" He asked.

"You did." She answered easily. "I was all for it and then you had to go and drown and…" She hitched a breath and he cupped her face to wipe her tears with his thumbs. "I ran away after so no-one would know."

"That's why you were in your underwear…" He remembered.

"And I couldn't go back home after that because I couldn't face telling my family what I'd done, they just knew I was acting out and causing trouble and they wanted to do something but not to comfort me."

"Not even Marco?"

"He never liked Jason. He said he was just using me for sex but we never even had sex, but he didn't even care about that you know? He thought Tay and Chad were a bad influence, god they are so small minded. If only they knew how much I miss her…"

"You and Marco seem fine now," Troy encouraged.

"Only because I'm out of rehab. He wasn't happy about me coming back here. He wouldn't believe me that we weren't married." She mused.

Troy wondered how long he had been holding her as she squirmed in his arms because he hadn't even realised he was still embracing her in this way. She freed herself a little and turned back to face the sea, folding her arms across her body.

"You see why it was so hard for me?" She asked.

"You saved my life," he replied, ignoring her question.

"I know."

"I don't know how to say thank you in a way that shows you how much I mean it," he commented.

She turned to him with a playful smile and tilted her head. "You could kiss me," she suggested.

_Quite happily,_ he mused as he tenderly braced her face and leaned down to do just that, brushing his lips against hers oh-so softly.

"I'm glad I saved you that day from the sea," he said then, broaching the subject she hated to discuss. "I got to repay the favour," he smiled.

She stared at him for a moment, for the first time feeling like she deserved to be saved and there was a reason for being alive.

"What do you want for breakfast?" She asked instead, pulling away and severing their contact.

"Can you make those delicious eggs again?" He smiled disarmingly.

"Of course." She agreed, fighting her way out of the drapes to head for the kitchen.


	8. I've Got You

**Thanks for the reviews :D**

**8**

"Hey, did you find her?" Chad asked Troy with badly hidden concern as he headed down the beach the next morning, ready to start his shift.

"Yeah, you were right she was at Denny's" Troy smiled at his new friend. "And she's ok."

Chad nodded, then looked up, building courage to speak again. "So how about we all go out tonight? Have something to eat?" He suggested.

"Sounds great." Troy agreed, feeling hope rise in his chest that Gabi and Chad could sort out their differences and finally make up.

"So," Chad licked his lips as they headed down the strip to carry out their daily checks. "Was she really ok?"

"Yeah. I found her talking to her brother Marco and everything was fine." Troy assured.

"Marco?" Chad flicked his head to Troy in surprise, squinting his eyes.

"Yeah. Is there something wrong?" Troy wondered.

"No, I just…I never thought he'd talk to her again after the things he said when she went to rehab."

"What things?" Troy delved.

Chad paused, frowning. "I don't want to repeat them, they weren't nice."

"Her own brother?" Troy checked.

"If there's one thing about the Montez clan, it's that they don't protect their own," Chad mused. "That was kinda my job when we hung out- and Jason's. And now yours," Chad added with a grin.

"She was laughing with him when I got there…"

"Gabi is a good actress, my friend. You'll learn that pretty soon." Chad offered.

"She covers a lot up, I know that much." Troy agreed.

"Look, she's opening up to you. She's told you more than I thought she would. Just…hang in there." Chad suggested.

"Her and Jason..?" Troy asked without using the words.

Chad shrugged. "It wasn't anything serious."

Troy sighed and placed his hands to his hips, looking out across the blue-grey waves right up to the edge of the sky. "I never knew Albuquerque would be like this," he smiled bemusedly.

"Dude, you don't even know the half of it!" Chad laughed at him, slapping on the shoulder affectionately. "I'm glad you came."

"Do you…" Troy began, licking his lips nervously. "Do you think I have a chance with her?"

"With Gabi?" Chad lifted his brows in surprise at the question. "Sure, what makes you think you don't?"

"She seems so restless, like the world is her friend and she can't sit still." He summarised.

"You stopped her leaving once didn't you?" Chad asked knowingly.

"I don't want to hold her back." Troy insisted.

"Then don't." Chad suggested easily.

Troy smiled lopsidedly and looked over to his buddy. "You're no help!"

"I am. I'm saying- if she wants to leave, then go with her, dude. Don't sit here missing her."

"Maybe she won't leave." Troy assured himself. "I just wish I knew what she was thinking."

"Buddy, every man in the human race wishes he knew what his woman was thinking, it would make for a much easier time," Chad teased.

"So did you find someone else, after Taylor died?" Troy asked his friend softly.

"Yeah," Chad nodded. "I did."

After another minute of quiet, Troy turned and grinned at Chad mischievously. "Lets go scare the crap outta those seagulls," he invited, spotting a gang of them along the shore line feeding on left overs.

Chad grinned back and the pair of them set off at a reaching run down the beach, two men bonded by one woman and a tragedy that connected them all.

/

"He really said that he wanted to eat with me?" Gabi checked again, not believing Troy's words.

"Yes. He said both of us." Troy sighed, trying to hold his impatience.

"I just don't get it," Gabi shook her head.

"Would you just get changed already? I'm starving here!" He prompted.

Gabi looked to him and blinked. She'd never seen him snap before, but she was kind of turned on by his show of annoyance.

"Sure. Be right back." She complied, leaving him frowning at her agreement.

Gabi returned a short while later from the bathroom wearing a soft shorts-playsuit in black with purple and yellow striped tights and a knitted silver shrug. Her hair was tidied into a side ponytail, adding glamour to her perfectly made-up face. Her brown eyes were highlighted by the lilac shadow and silver eyeliner she had chosen and Troy found himself unable to look away. She had to be the most beautiful being he'd ever had the luck to lay eyes on.

"What's wrong?" Gabi worried as she clocked his look.

"You look amazing," he answered honestly.

"Oh." She flicked her eyes over his choice of jeans and military shirt. "So do you."

He came toward her and cupped her shoulder, bringing her gaze to his where she desperately tried to avoid it. "You are so amazingly beautiful and you don't even know…"

"You are so amazingly handsome and you pretend you aren't," she arched back with a little knowing smile.

"How was I ever so lucky to know you?" He mused.

"You must be the only one who thinks it's lucky to know me," she derided, shifting uncomfortably under his praise. "Shall we go?"

"One second," he held up a finger, and then lifted that hand to brush his thumb over her cheek, tilting his head to lean down and kiss her, her sky-high heels offering her more height than her small frame normally allowed as she tiptoed to kiss him back.

"We should go," she repeated softly as she pulled away again, not allowing herself to enjoy the pleasure of his kiss.

He nodded with a swallow, feeling her withdrawal as she swayed away and let him follow after- dumbstruck by her beauty. "Whatever you say, lady," he murmured to himself.

/

Gabi froze as she spotted Chad sitting in the booth of the restaurant they had chosen, all the old feelings coming back at the sight of his familiar face and big, afro hair. _Could they really go back to how they were?_ She wasn't so sure.

There had been a feeling of hope in her heart when Troy had told her Chad wanted them to eat together but she hadn't expected this pain to unfold and cover her. She hadn't expected her hurt to rise so sharply- both from their mutual loss and from his previous treatment of her.

As Troy's hand pressed into her back, she turned her face up to him and revealed her panicked eyes. "I don't think I can do this," she admitted.

"Hey," he came round and cupped her face. "You can. I know you can."

"Maybe I don't want to," she tried again, her urge to run strong and fierce.

"Will you give it half an hour?" He begged. "If you still don't want to be here after that I promise I'll take you home."

"But what if…"

"Hey people!" Chad's voice cut her next argument, bringing them both round to face him. "Gabi, I'm glad you came," he assured, his own eyes showing his nerves.

She pressed her lips together and tried desperately to think of words but none came so she looked up to Troy for help.

"This isn't easy for either of you," he allowed to his new friends. "Gabi's just a little worried about tonight." He added, checking with her that he'd said the right thing.

"I'm going to the restroom," she announced and strode away, her colourful and revealing outfit garnering looks from several of the male patrons in the restaurant.

"She looks amazing," Chad frowned as a side thought, then looked back to Troy. "Is she ok?"

"I don't know. But I should go find out," he suggested.

"Hey," Chad pressed his hand to Troy's chest to stop him going. "Let me?" he begged.

Troy nodded, watching as Chad followed Gabi's trail across the floor and he conceded his role for tonight was to get them this far and let them fight it out. He wandered over to the bar and took up residence on a stool, ordering himself a drink.

_This could be a long night._

/

"Gabi?" Chad pushed the toilet door open an inch or two and called for her. He checked behind him nervously and then slipped inside, searching for the small beauty and he found her sitting on the toilet seat, stall door open as she bent over and buried her face in her hands. "Are you okay?" He checked.

"I was stupid enough to think that we could go back," she offered looking to him with tear-stained eyes. "I somehow thought the past could be forgotten. God, I'm such an idiot!"

"Hey, I have been an ass and a half ok?" He admitted his part in the awkwardness that separated them. "I have judged you and bad mouthed you and frozen you out and you didn't deserve any of it."

"Maybe I did," she replied haphazardly with a wan smile. "Maybe I am to blame."

"This is not your fault," Chad quickly denied, stepping inside the small space and kneeling down, flicking his eyes over her before deciding to cup her upper arms. "Look at me," he urged.

"I couldn't save them, Chad. I couldn't even _look _at them…" She beseeched, her tears falling more quickly and her sniffles increasing.

"Nobody could save them, Gabs. They were killed by some selfish arrogant ass who thought he could drive over the limit and now _we're_ the ones paying the price." He insisted.

"You _hated _ me!" She accused. "You wouldn't even talk to me and when mom threw me out nobody would _talk _to me. It was like they blamed me!"

"I know. I'm sorry," he closed his eyes in regret. "I shouldn't have pushed you away like that."

"So why now, Chad? What's different?" The old spark he knew and loved about her was alight in her eyes.

"Troy." He said simply, smiling ruefully. "He made me see everything clearly."

"Troy?" She screwed up her face in confusion.

"He has a way of making you see the truth without pushing you into it…" He explained.

"It doesn't make up for all the things you said…" She reminded him, fresh hurt spearing her chest and causing more tears to flow.

"Oh, I know G," He sighed, leaning forward to hug her. "I know I have a lot to make up for."

"I needed you," she sobbed, resisting his embrace.

"I know," his voice broke, causing it to rasp out. "I needed you too."

She broke into heavy, sore sobs that shook her body as she wrapped her arms around his neck and let him comfort her. For the first time since they lost their friends, they clung to each other and shared their loss.

"If Tay could see us now," he joked as he pulled away and flicked his sorry brown eyes to hers.

"She'd tell us we were stupid for ever not talking." Gabi agreed.

"I'm the stupid one. You've done nothing wrong." Chad accepted.

"Where's Troy?" Gabi wondered then, wiping her eyes.

"He's outside. He's a special guy," Chad commented.

"He was starving before we left. We should go out so he can order," she suggested, bypassing Chad's comment. She knew how special he was, even if Troy himself didn't.

"Okay I'll go out and tell him you're okay." Chad smiled, knowing she'd want to wash her face and calm her tears.

/

Her eyes were a little puffy and sore and her small mouth pursed in confusion but when her broken eyes met his, he stood and let her walk right into his arms, knowing instinctively that's what she needed as she came out of her hiding place.

Chad smiled at the pair of them and brushed a hand down Gabi's back. "I'll go find us a table," he said knowingly.

"You must be dying of hunger," Gabi whispered against Troy's chest, loving the feel of his warmth and strength against her.

"As long as you're okay." He shrugged easily.

"I'm ok."

"Are we staying?" He checked, despite Chad's positive response before.

"Uh huh," she nodded and looked up. "Thank you for doing this."

"It kills me to see you upset, I never wanted that." He commented, brushing his hand down her arm gently.

"It's for a good reason. We've…sorted some things out." She explained.

"I'm glad. Let's go eat huh?" His smile played at his lips. "My stomach is eating itself."

/

"Oops- too much wine!" Gabi giggled as she collapsed onto the floor in the hallway, her heels becoming a little too much to cope with after her emotional night.

"You had one glass," Troy replied drily, reaching over to help her up. She smiled felinely as she twisted in his arms and pressed her hands to his chest.

"I guess it was stronger than I thought," she murmured, meeting his gaze.

"You wear shoes that are twice the size of you and you wonder why you fall over…" He teased.

"Maybe I like being rescued," she counter-acted.

"Do you have a lot of rescuers?" He wondered, arching a brow as he cottoned onto her flirty game.

"Just one." She smiled, wrapping one hand around his neck as she stretched to reach his mouth. He smiled as her lips touched his and they deepened the kiss, their lips rhythmically pressing together as their emotions bubbled out, kept inside all night.

"I never know what to expect with you," he whispered with a husked voice, dipping to kiss her neck tenderly, testing her response. His hands claimed her butt cheek and waist simultaneously and she arched into him at his attack.

"Is that bad?" She groaned out when his tongue flicked against her bare throat.

"It makes you equally the most confusing and the most attractive woman I ever met," he allowed, watching as her small hands flattened down his torso, heading for the hem of his shirt where she began to unbutton it, flicking her golden amber eyes to his, their colour mesmerising him.

"Could be worse," she decided easily, letting her hands enjoy the naked expanse of his chest, her body reacting to the feel of his defined muscles- muscles formed and strengthened by hours of swimming and running on the beach. "You're solid…" She observed with wonder at his hot, hard planes.

He smirked and she instantly felt the heat of his erection against her hip, bringing her gaze to his. He slowly ran his hand down from her butt, cupping her muscled thigh and bringing it over his hip so he could press between her thighs with his aching need.

"Do you know how much I've wanted to do this?" He mused, bending his head to kiss her collarbone, receiving a pleasured noise from her as she grasped the back of his head to steady herself, her fingers threading into his hair and messing it.

"As much as I do…" She guessed, submitting to his touch and letting his lips lower to her décolletage.

"These insanely sexy things you wear," he husked, trying to find the release point of her all-in one. The poppers down the front were easy, as was the little belt that held the garment at her tiny waist. Soon he was running his hands over her shoulders, sliding the item off her petite body as his tongue licked through her bra and fought to taste her hard buds.

"Troy," she begged, clinging to his muscled arms for dear life in the centre of his living room, not knowing which way was up as her blood pounded around her body and set her insides alight with wanting.

He bent down and scooped her up, carrying her in that manly way he did to his room, laying her on the bed where he unbuckled his jeans and dropped them to the floor, his evidence of desire pressing against his boxers needfully as he crawled up her body from the end of the bed, planting mystery kisses here and there while she watched with darkened eyes.

"Be gentle," she gasped as his tongue drove into her belly button, driving her hips off the bed as her intimacy craved for more.

"Why, who wasn't gentle with you?" He wondered, laying between her thighs and flicking his concerned blue eyes over her face as he let his fingers tangle into her mane of hair.

"No-one," she sucked her lower lip. "Nobody ever made love with me, Troy."

His breath was hot against her skin as his kisses zoned into her neck again and she felt his physical tension as he paused and looked at her. She tried to read the thoughts behind those sky-eyes and she failed, becoming nervous as he remained still, their foreplay broken and her tingling skin quickly becoming de-sensitised.

"What's wrong?" She wondered.

"You never…before?" He asked, awed.

"No, does that surprise you so much?" She asked, hurt by his reaction and her words laced with defensiveness.

"No! Well maybe a little…I just assumed…" He began then realised his mistake.

"You assumed what?" She asked brittily. "That I fuck anything that comes my way? Just because I dress sexy means I'm fucking every damn sailor who rides to town?"

"Gabi," he winced at her angry accusation.

"Get off me!" She pushed on his solid chest and tried to shift his heavy body.

"At least wait a second…" He sighed as he rolled his weight from her, feeling his tight body protest at the lack of softness to answer its need. _I know buddy, _he told his counterpart in apology.

"You know what Troy Bolton? For one moment there I thought you really were amazing. I knew I was wrong. I knew you'd be a let down!" She shouted, now beside the bed in her underwear, her curvy body just gloating to him what he was missing.

"Hey wait a minute!" Troy objected, sitting up on the bed angrily, shoving a hand through his sandy hair. "I haven't done anything wrong! I never said I was perfect okay? You're the one who's looking for reasons for this not to work out," he accused back.

"Oh sure. _I'm _the one who froze when told my partner was a virgin!" She yelled, tears stinging at the corners of her eyes from pure rage and hurt.

"I want to make love to you Gabi," Troy re-iterated as he stood, the evidence of their foreplay still strong in his shorts. "I just didn't know, that's all. I just didn't know what to say or how to make sure you were okay…"

"I'm not a doll that will break if you bang too hard," Her eyes glittered at her crude words and his gaze cooled as he squinted at her, disappointed in her reaction.

"Fine," he sighed reaching for his jeans behind him and looking back to her. "I obviously can't say the right thing here so…"

"So what? You walk away?" she accused.

"Yeah, you know what? I do." He agreed. "I'm not going to argue over something that isn't there."

"I just wanted you to love me Troy!" She sobbed behind him as he reached the doorway and he closed his eyes against the protective instinct that rose sharply in his chest.

"You know what Gabi?" He mused as he turned, pressing his lips together. "I _do _love you. I fell in love with you the first time you slept in my bed and I don't think you even realised. I don't think my feelings even register with you."

His soft words were equally as stinging as her shouted accusations only they went a lot, lot deeper. She opened her mouth in shock and no words came out- not in protest not in reciprocation, nothing.

"You can have the bed. I'll sleep out here," he said as he walked through the door, every inch of his gorgeous muscled body a reminder to Gabi of what she could have had if she hadn't lost her nerve.

"Stupid, stupid, idiot!" She whispered to herself, collapsing on the floor in sobs as the rollercoaster ride of the night caught her up and exhausted her body. "Stupid, stupid me."

/

It took an hour to cry out her pain. She finally rose from her foetal position and regretted her words to Troy, wondering how she was meant to fix this mess she kept making.

He would be fast asleep by now, she decided, opening the bedroom door very slowly to peek on him. He tossed on the sofa and then flopped back again, doubting her as to his slumber.

Taking a chance he might be awake and willing to talk, she crept out, twisting her lips nervously as she tried to think of words that would cover her behaviour, but she didn't think there _were _any. It's just who she _was._ Stupid, selfish Gabriella with so many problems of her own she couldn't even see past her own nose to find that an amazing guy loved her.

_Oh god, he loved her._ She paused, taking a deep breath before she continued, putting that fact to one side to complete her ultimate objective.

"I'm sorry I was a bitch." She said to his head, because she was to afraid to walk right round and look into his cool blue eyes. She never wanted them to ice her out again, she wanted the twinkly kind. Or the kind that darkened at the edges as their passion rose.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you for something that wasn't your fault when really I was just on some kind of emotional rollercoaster waiting to crash…" her words picked up pace. "And god knows you didn't deserve the fall out, you're the only one who's been kind beyond belief to me and this is how I choose to repay you…" She took a breath to pace her words and she watched as he twisted over to rest on his arms on his front, looking right at her.

"Gabi…"

"No, wait I'm not done," she argued. "I wanted tonight to happen more than I've ever wanted anything before and that scares me, okay? There, I said it." She puffed out her remaining breath and looked at him.

He rolled off the sofa and rose to slowly walk to her and encompass her into his arms, giving her the strength she desperately needed as she clung onto him and silently begged for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," she added quietly.

He pulled back and looked down at her with timid eyes, taking her hand and leading her back through to his room where he lay on the bed and waited for her to follow, only then wrapping her into his arms as she snuggled up close.

"I've got you, remember?" He finally husked, his words breaking her heart as she remembered the day he strode into the sea and saved her life. She couldn't help the second round of sobs that followed his words,

"I've got you."


	9. Man Up

**Thank you for reviews!**

**9**

She felt emotionally wrung out. Exhausted, even, as she opened her eyes and tried to swallow on her dry throat. She looked around, lifting her head and finding Troy beside her, where he had been all night. She didn't want to admit to herself how much she loved sharing his bed or how attached she was getting.

Gabriella Montez didn't get attached to anyone. They only got ripped from her life when she just thought everything was set.

But he loved her. She couldn't ignore that. And she couldn't deny to herself the answering yearning in her heart as she felt the very same thing for the hunky blonde laying peacefully next to her. _She loved him too._ But what could that possibly mean? A future together? _A relationship?_

She couldn't lose him like she lost Tay. He was her new best friend and he meant more to her than that, too. How would she ever survive if he was taken away? No, she had to keep things simple.

He didn't need to know how she felt. Nobody needed to know. She could enjoy his company, share his house and be friends without letting things go too far. Without falling any harder than she already had.

She jumped as she felt a warm hand roll up her thigh from under the covers- Troy's hand- landing protectively on her belly where she lay on her back and he on his side.

"You awake already?" He complained with one eye squinted open and a smile on his lips that set her heart beating erratically. "I was hoping for at least another hour in bed."

"Who says we can't?" She enquired sexily, leaning her head over to smile at him, too.

"I have work," he groaned, rolling over to stretch his body out.

"So, be late." She suggested, rolling toward him now he was on his back and she propped her head onto her hand.

"The people need me," He informed her, placing one hand into her hair to rub her back affectionately.

"What if_ I_ need you?" She enquired as he rolled toward the bed edge and he felt her shuffle over and press into his back, breasts first. He dropped his chin to his chest as his body quickly reacted from yesterday's teasing introduction to the goddess that was Gabriella Montez.

He rolled back toward her and cupped her face, kissing her softly but not letting her attempt at further passion win him over.

"I'm sorry, beautiful., but I have to go." He apologised softly.

Gabi blinked at his words and felt hurt by his rebuffal. She had hoped she could at least seduce him into staying.

"Okay," she agreed, hiding her thoughts.

"Its hard enough having to leave you in my bed looking as sexy as you do right now; please don't be mad at me too." He begged.

"I'm not mad." She confirmed. "I just…miss you when you're not here."

He gave her an adorable lop-sided smile before he rolled over and sprang from the bed.

"#My baby's gonna miss me, on Saturday night…#" He sang with a big happy smile as he held his hand up toward his mouth, holding an invisible microphone. "#She's gonna dance at the party all night…#"

"Troy!" Gabi laughed at his outrageous behaviour.

"#Baby's gonna find her man and blow him away..#"

"What _are_ you singing?" She complained, putting her hands over her ears at his loud dronings.

"#But she's gonna be my girl for good, one day…#" He winked at her before he vanished into the en- suite, continuing his joyful singing whilst he showered and Gabi lay in the bed with a bemused look.

"Your baby's gonna dump your ass if you keep singing like that," she mused to herself with an affectionate smile. He really was _something_, she mused.

/

"Hello Gabriella." The voice stopped her as she strode out of Troy's apartment and into the smooth Mexican sun.

"Hello Mother." She replied, tensing at the sound of Gina's voice.

"I see you're still living with the lifeguard, then." Gina remarked.

Gabi folded her arms and sighed. "Yeah. Is that the crime of the century?"

"Marco told me you were married to him," Gina smiled as she bumped up off the hood of her car where she had been laying in wait.

"Oh, god," Gabi rolled her eyes. "That was Troy's idea of a _joke_, mother, it's not really true."

"But you insist of living with him."

"Yeah, isn't that _weird_?" Gabi mocked her parent. "I mean, _gosh_ what can that mean _psychologically_? Have I finally gone insane? Wait, let me think. My own mother and brother disowned me when I was at my lowest point and my father walked out when I was twelve and yet this…stranger looks after me better than my own family do and _you're_ the one judging me on it." Gabi tipped her head and began walking again, knowing she had won the battle of wills between her and her mother.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Gabriella." Gina called, walking after her. "I wanted to invite you and Troy to dinner."

"No you didn't! You wanted to come and snoop!" Gabi threw back.

"I'd like to get to know him. And hear about your life again." Gina admitted awkwardly.

"And try and make me move home…" Gabi guessed drily.

"No, I accept you are an adult who can make her own decisions," Gina jutted her chin up, showing her discomfort with this idea, but she was trying all the same and Gabi noted her efforts.

"When were you thinking?" She asked back edgily.

"Tonight or tomorrow. Whichever suits you." Gina added.

"Fine, see you tomorrow. I'll let Troy know you invited him, too." Gabi added.

"Gabriella…" Gina paused her as she was about to go. "Do you need anything? Money? Or food or anything?"

"I can manage," Gabi swallowed, knowing she had to start paying Troy back for the hospitality he had showed her.

"Please, just take a hundred dollars to put toward your rent," Gina begged.

Gabi looked at the wad of bills and toward the beach apartment Troy owned and she wondered if she should take the money. Her sole objective today was to find some work and earn some money and then she would go home and cook his dinner and work on paying him back.

"No, thank you." She stood firm in her independence, wondering if that was the right thing as the money vanished back into Gina's purse.

"Okay, well we'll see you tomorrow for dinner." She confirmed.

"See you then." Gabi nodded, heading back toward her original destination.

She didn't care if she had to wait tables and suffer ass gropings; she was going to pay Troy back every penny she owed him.

/

As it turned out, waiting tables and suffering ass-gropings was exactly what Gabriella had been doing all day.

As she came inside Troy's neat apartment she squinted around, wondering how she could inhabit his space more privately and not take up so much of his living room with her belongings. His sofa was the only sleepable surface and it was perfectly placed in the middle of the room but she set about packing her things away properly, using the store cupboard next to the kitchen to keep it all out of view.

Still hot, sweaty and messy from her day's work and still dressed in her tiny black wrap skirt and matching white wrap top, she fluffed up the cushions and set about cleaning the kitchen, laying the items out she needed for her planned meal.

"Almost done…" She told herself with a bolstering smile heading for the shower to wash up.

The hot, nearly scalding water was like a heaven sent pleasure for her as she sighed out and raised her hands, letting the hot shower pinken her skin as she arched and groaned, stretching her aching muscles.

"Every damn ass grope was worth this moment," she told herself.

She climbed out several moments later, towelling herself dry and then letting her damp, naked body dry as she padded around the bathroom and completed her routine.

Before she could even think, or move- or cover her butt-naked body- Troy whipped open the door of the bathroom with the intent to come in, oblivious to the fact she was already resident.

"Troy!" She screamed, quickly crossed her arms over her chest, leaving the entire lower expanse of her body free for his perusal.

And peruse he did. Despite his shock of opening his bathroom and finding a naked Mexican wandering around, his eyes were somehow unnaturally fixed to her bare behind- among other things- and he couldn't look away.

"Troy, stop staring!" She shouted again, reaching for her towel now her initial burning embarrassment had given way to anger.

Once she was covered he seemed to snap out of his daze, coming back to earth with a bang as a sharp slap sounded across his cheek.

"How dare you!" Her eyes burned nearly as much as her flaming cheeks and he still stood there in awed silence.

"Say something then!" She demanded. "At least act like you're sorry even if you did enjoy the free show!"

"Damn and hellfire, Gabriella, you have _the_ most…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because she slapped him again and he winced as his already sore skin protested.

She squinted her eyes and her voice lowered to almost a growl. "If you even _think _about uttering a sentence that includes the word 'ass' in it right now, I promise I _will _hurt you," she threatened.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it," he offered sheepishly, her angry and bewildered look finally sinking in and creating his guilt.

"You couldn't help staring at my ass while I'm naked in your bathroom?" She scoffed.

"I didn't think we were allowed to talk about your…"

"You're not," she jabbed him with her finger in the chest, frowning as it hurt her more than it did him. "I am."

"I just…froze, okay? I didn't expect to see…"

"I didn't expect you to _see_ either," she complained loudly, stomping by him into his room. "I don't expect anyone to see my ass…" she muttered to herself.

"Wait," he chased after her bemusedly, catching her wrist before she made it out of the door to the living room. "Do you think there's something wrong with your…" he sighed, closing his eyes as he tempted punishment, "…ass?"

When he didn't feel another stinging slap he ventured one eye open to a slit and found her frowning face before him, freeing him to open his other eye, now confident he wouldn't get hit again.

She wriggled her wrist out of his grip and pulled it toward her, rubbing it even though he hadn't hurt her.

"It's huge." She said in the softest, most vulnerable voice he had ever heard.

"What?" He protested emphatically, screwing up his eyes and rolling his head as though he were in pain.

"Don't laugh at me!" She huffed. "I hate having an ass the size of Antigua."

"Gabi…" Troy approached her tiny form and took a breath in for courage, knowing how volatile the woman was before him. "Your…behind…is about the single most amazing behind I have ever seen. I have no idea why you think that it's the size of Antigua because, babe, all I think of when I see it is how much I would _love _to hold it." He mused.

She pouted her lips and considered his offering. "You think my ass is huggable?" She ventured.

"More than huggable," his eyes gleamed excitedly but her squinted look told him he was dangerously close to overdoing the enthusiasm over her butt. "I mean, definitely," he smiled hopefully.

"Jason never liked my ass," she offered sadly. "He always said my ass looked big in everything when I asked."

"Well I for one, am a big fan of your…ass." He paused again before repeating the word.

"Big fan of my big ass," she mused as she met his gaze then. "You really just got shocked before? You weren't horrified?" She checked.

"Horrified?" He repeated, stunned she would think that. "I promise, I was just…surprised to find you there. Naked. Looking like-" he cut himself off, swallowing his thoughts as he remembered his safety depended on it.

She stepped closer, in her towel, her eyes flicking down his torso and making his tummy clench at the attraction he saw reflecting in her brown orbs.

"Looking like what?" She prompted.

He took a breath, felt the heat zap between them as they stood and just breathed, staring into each others eyes as they fought their attraction.

"Looking like you'd just been made love to." He described softly, his hooded look pinging a shaft of desire straight between her thighs.

"H-how?" She stammered, feeling like he was touching her even though only his gaze roamed her towel-clad figure and then rested back on her face.

"Kind of flushed, walking around proudly like you _know _how sexy you are," he smiled softly.

He didn't need to say any more to convince Gabi he was sorry, but as she tiptoed to meet his lips she didn't really care if he was or not. The strangled groan he let out set her skin on fire and their lips closed in with urgency. Her hands quickly went to his chest and grasped there, running up and down for skin, for muscle, for anything that would extend this excruciating sweet ache she felt deep inside.

"Troy," she sighed as he kissed her neck, her whole body arching against his for more friction, more of his lips, more of anything as they fought to find that place where nothing else mattered but the intensity of their passion.

Soon his hands travelled over her towel, finding the anchoring and gently disturbing it so that the fabric dropped away, leaving her bare skin open to his gaze- and his touch.

"Amazing…" He whispered, flicking his eyes down her as he walked backwards to his bed and grasped her hands, taking her with him, where he kissed her once he sat on the mattress and pulled her between his thighs.

She quickly climbed up with him, straddling his hips as their kisses grew stronger and needier and their tongues fought for control, their bodies rubbing together with slow, testing rubs. He could feel her hard nipples brush his chest, her damp hair tease his skin and her soft thighs around his, sending him hard and wanting against her inner thigh.

"Gabi," he groaned as she bucked, only then allowing his hands to cup her backside, the one he had just told her was so amazing and now he was proving it, cradling her buttocks in his large hands like he never wanted to let go. Only he did, to run his hands up her sides and replace his gentle ministrations at her chest as he cupped her small breasts and sighed out with pleasure. "So beautiful…."

Gabi whimpered needfully as the arrows of hot pleasure shot through her body to her core, bringing her damp and aching where she needed him and it was the first time she had ever wanted someone so much; before she had never felt this _need._

Her nervous hands rolled down his chest to his sculpted belly and then lower, to the knot of his own towel and she had felt the bulge beneath and now wanted to see it with her own eyes. She disrobed him, every inch of her skin wanting to be with him as much as he clearly wanted to be with her and seeing the evidence of his desire only made her want him more.

_Damn, Troy,_ she sighed as she reached out to touch. She hadn't expected _that_, she smiled felinely as she met his gaze again, leaning down to kiss his belly and up, her small hands surrounding his hard heat.

"Babe…" he begged, squirming on the bed, his hands going into her hair as she kissed upwards still, landing on his neck and sucking there a little, bringing another pained noise from his throat.

"Do you have something, Troy?" She panted. "Do you have a condom?"

He nodded, dragging himself further up the bed so he could reach his drawer, opening it and pulling out a packet, holding it between two fingers as he wondered if she was going to put it on, or he was.

She looked at him and pressed her lips together, a flash of uncertainty crossing her face as she reminded him of her inexperience and he closed his eyes briefly, then applied his sheath with ease, beckoning her to him. She crawled up his body and when she reached her previous position, he gently rolled her over to the bed, pressing between her strong, smooth thighs with a devilish smile.

"You have to be the most beautiful woman I have ever loved," he murmured as his hands tenderly began to stroke her skin, bringing the humming desire back to fever pitch.

"Please, Troy," she whispered back, wanting the pleasure to end and their ultimate journey to begin, but he shook his head and dipped it to suckle her nipple, causing her to cry out at the sensation.

He took his time, licking, kissing, teasing her until she was riding her hips off the bed and against his body as she begged for more, but he waited and controlled the pace of their foreplay; finally letting his fingers run down her flat belly toward her dark parting beneath.

"Oh," her eyes widened as his finger touched her there and she closed her eyes, dragging in a breath as she could only imagine what his swollen heat would feel like, once he had finished his punishment.

"Are you sure about this, Gabi?" He whispered, kissing up her collarbone, toward her jaw, then over that and to her mouth, taking her lips in a vicious duel.

"Please, yes," She begged.

"Are you sure you want it to be me?" He looked right into her eyes, the blue depths of his showing his uncertainly.

"More than anything," she promised, brushing her hips against his once more to show her agreement.

"I'll be gentle," he husked, entering her with as much care and restraint as he could muster when his body was throbbing so vividly.

Her sounds were like excited little gasps; something that only lent to turn him on even more as he rested his forehead to her shoulder and held back his final move until she gave her approval. Her hands went into his hair, over his shoulders and down his back and she whispered right into his ear.

"All of you, Troy," she begged, making him thrust into her with more force than he had planned, his pleasured groan sounding soon after.

Gabi cried out at the feeling of him within her, something she had never shared with anyone before- had never wanted to, until now. And now she knew why. As Troy gently, tenderly loved her, his strong body holding back to provide her maximum pleasure, she knew he was the _one. _The one she wanted to love like this, every day. The one she wanted to laugh and cry with and be sick in front of. The one she could tease and love equally. The one she loved, full stop.

He brushed his thumbs against her face, tangling his fingers into her hair as he held himself above her, his powerful thighs still driving him deep as she arched up to meet him, not knowing where she was or _who _she was as her pleasure reigned. She'd never really experienced an orgasm so when the exciting wave of sweet-aching pleasure began to build, she felt her heart thud heavily with it.

"W-what…" she sighed, right as her thighs quivered and her insides convulsed beyond her control, her question still on her lips as they parted and she let out little gasps of sound.

She felt Troy's too as he shuddered and collapsed against her, his strong muscles weakened by his sated state, his body heaving breaths in and out. She lay there and stroked his hair, her mind whirling with colours and images and questions as she came back to earth. Every touch he had made, every thrust he had exacted, it was all stored in her mind and erupted a sweet tug inside at the memory.

"Already?" She asked softly. "It's over so soon?"

He chuckled deep in his chest as he pulled his head up from its resting place in her neck. "I'm sorry, beautiful. I tried to hold on." He grinned.

She smiled back, knowing he had done nothing wrong, knowing that _this _was what all the fuss was about. This combustion of feelings and touches and friction that made loving each other so much more meaningful.

"No, that's not what I meant. You were perfect, Troy," she stroked his fringe back again.

He cleaned himself up, put his boxers back on and crawled back onto the bed, flicking his gaze up and down her bare body keenly. "Do you want a robe?" he checked.

She smiled lazily at him and folded her self over, covering most of her modesty. "You've seen it all, anyway," she mused.

"And you are every inch as beautiful as I suspected," he kissed her mouth tenderly as his hand curved down her back and rested on her backside while his other arm held her close.

"How did I get so lucky, Troy?" she looked into his understanding eyes. "How did I deserve you?"

He shrugged, kissing her again quickly. "You saved a life." He decided.

Her arms went around his neck as she hugged him back, affectionately and he couldn't help the big grin that stole over his face.

"#My baby's not leaving me on Saturday night," he sang in a quiet husk. "The party is over and she's right by my side…#"

"Troy," she giggled, squirming against him.

"#My baby, she's the most beautiful girl, She knows I'd do anything, give her the world…#"

"You are too cute," she touched her nose to his and smiled.

"#One day I'm gonna make her mine, oh mine,#"

"Troy," she said warningly, knowing what was coming next before he even sang.

"#And I have to say that her ass is oh-so fine….#" He ducked as she swiped his arm in retaliation, and then chuckled as he settled back down.

"#She's my everything…#" He finished the real song with the right words, closing his eyes with a happy smile.

/

Hugging Gabi's huggable ass was a pleasure that was sacred beyond the value of his own life, Troy sighed as he woke spooning Gabi in the most beautiful way.

_Now this is what I call heaven,_ he smiled as he tightened his arms around her middle and rubbed against her sensuously, enjoying reminders of their love-making as his body zinged to life.

Her hair was a mass of curls as he gently scraped it back, finally being able to see her peaceful face as she pretended to sleep.

"Don't think I can't see you, Bolton," she warned sleepily.

"This is the best day of my life." He announced, making her turn to face him, propped on her elbow.

"Really?" She doubted.

"I get to wake up with you," he shared romantically, making her pull a face as her heart beat quicker and a blush ran up her face.

"Oh whatever," she discounted teasingly. "We woke up together a bunch of times."

"I get to wake up with you after we made love last night," he repeated, adding the real reason for his joy.

"Oh god. Corn-dog alert!" She groaned with a giggle as he captured her into his body and she could do nothing but press her hands to his chest.

"Are you trying to say I need to man-up?" He asked with a squint, his eyes twinkling mischievously under his lashes.

"Uh-huh," She nodded mockingly.

He twisted his neck in a 'is that so?' gesture that made her a teeny bit nervous. Sometimes, just sometimes, he surprised her.

He flipped her over, onto her back and lifted her thigh over his hip, pressing his arousal against her firmly as he crushed her with his solid weight.

"Man enough for you?" He husked, taking her mouth in an attacking kiss that left her squirming and moaning out loud, her hands lost in his hair.

"That is _not _afair battle, mister…" She panted, the rise and fall of her chest rubbing her erect nipples against his bare chest.

"I am so glad you didn't get dressed last night," he grinned, running his hands down her body and enjoying her curves once more.

"Can we do it again?" She asked with a feline smile, keen to further their passion again.

"You should take it easy," he suggested. "You might be sore after…"

His words of concern were cut off as she arched against him and reminded him of every soft and enticing inch of her skin. He gave her a dark look that told of his desire as well as his restraint as he fought to hold on to his control that she seemed determined to break.

"I want you, Troy." She whispered, knowing these were the words to break his spell.

He closed his eyes and hung his head against her chest, seconds later starting up a slow kissing pattern across her skin. He couldn't resist her, he could only give in to her whispered demand as the sun rose and cast a glow upon their undulating bodies. Much later- later than they planned- they finally rolled out of bed with the intent to go back to the real world, with as much enthusiasm as either could muster.

Gabi stretched her sweetly aching body as she headed for the stove and felt the throbbing deep inside as well as at her breasts from her night-and morning- of passion.

_Troy Bolton sure knew how to please her;_ she sighed happily as she pulled down the oatmeal box and set the pan for two helpings.

"Hey, where'd' you get to?" Troy asked with a hand through his hair as he came out in his surf shorts and 'Rescue' tee, pausing as he spotted Gabi at the stove in the smallest black skirt he had seen. "You're wearing that today?" He asked next.

"Troy!" She giggled as she turned, smiling at her new lover with affection. "This is my uniform for work."

"Work?" He practically bellowed, coming closer and cupping her backside over the fabric.

"Yeah, I'm waitressing at Arther's." She supplied.

"I don't like the idea of some old perv getting a view of your amazing legs," he grumbled protectively, making her smile.

"Well, I get good tips. And I need to pay you back, so don't complain." She suggested.

"You don't need to-" he was cut off by her kiss.

"I want to." She altered.

"But do you have to wear this to work?" He whined softly.

"Are you gonna be one of those guys who gets weird after we get serious?" She asked, a little nervously, threading her fingers together at his neck.

"No! Psh, no," he denied quickly, eyeing her to see if she believed him. She clearly didn't because she arched a brow.

"You already are." She pointed out.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it sometimes; I just get a little jealous. You look beautiful in your uniform," he added with a redeeming smile.

Her eyes twinkled back at him as she pursed her lips. "How about I put on some tights?" She suggested to compromise.

"It's gonna be a hundred and eight out there today, you need to stay cool," he assured. "Just call me at lunch time and remind me not to come by and break every man's legs that looks at you," he joked with a wink.

"That's very sweet," she commented wryly. "Now go sit so I can bring your breakfast over."

"I never thought I'd see the day you'd say that," he shook his head, earning him another swipe as Gabi sat beside him and budged his arm, settling them into a bantering chat before work.

_Oh yes, work,_ Troy grimaced. If only he could stay home all day and enjoy Gabi's company. But greater things lay out there. There were people to look after and lives to save. And if he saved another one like hers then he'd consider his job done.


	10. Storm

Hey guys thanks so much for the amazing comments, you really made me smile :D

BrittanyZVAmoore & annabethchase – thank you!

And a quick hello to new readers/ reviewers, hope to see more of your comments :)

Only 2 more chapters after this one!

Ang

**10**

Troy was right, it was a hundred and eight and that was only by 11 when people were swapping their espressos for iced tea and lemonata's.

"Harry, I can't cope out there in this heat," Gabi told her boss as her cheeks flushed red and her skin dampened with sweat.

"Stay inside, Bonita." Harry nodded. "I don't want my best girl fainting on me."

Gabi suspected she was only his 'best girl' because of her attention-drawing figure and the insane scantiness of her uniform, which mirrored every other waitresses but somehow her petite, curved shape brought a whole other aspect to a simple white top and black skirt. Her ass, for example, was barely covered by the short kilt and she constantly tugged the material down in a vain attempt to hide her least favourite asset. _Her _least favourite, _Troy's _favourite she mused and smiled as his image popped into her head.

It wasn't any image though- no innocent, smiling, cute looking Troy. No, she had to go and think of him in _that _moment, right before he came and her inside walls tightened around him, creasing his face with ecstasy at the release his body made to hers, caught by his protection.

_Damn you,_ she cussed silently. _Insanely sexy and invading my every waking thought._

She didn't even realise Harry was calling her name, waving his hands to get her attention until she choked on her ice cold water.

"Huh? Sorry, Harry," she smiled wanly in apology.

"Go home now, sweetie. The weather man says a storm is coming in- I don't want you trapped here when it comes." He ordered.

He knew as well as her how vicious those coastal storms were. They rode in on the waves like a black pirate ship- stealthy and quick, surprising the residents of the small town of Albuquerque, often causing destruction and loss of life.

Gabi's mind went instantly to Troy and Chad who worked so close to the ocean, the carrier of the threat, wondering if they had also been moved for safety. She had to go and make sure, she decided, thanking Harry with a hug as she stepped outside and checked the sky.

Beautiful sunshine, hot and heavy poured down like treacle, stickying her skin and weighting her limbs. The air was so thick she could barely breathe and she saw the waves of heat radiating from the tarmac road.

"It's gonna be a bad one," she predicted, knowing the bright blue sky could be replaced by black clouds and heavy downpour in a matter of minutes. The threat of lightening frightened her as she quickened her steps and headed toward the beach, desperate to find Troy before she went home.

/

"Gabi what are you doing here?" Chad yelled at her as she headed for the hut, glancing every which way for a flash of red that signalled Troy's uniform.

"I came for Troy to make she he knew about the storm!" She shouted back, looking across the water and seeing the tips of dark rolling in faster than even she predicted, the sight freezing her to the spot.

"Get out of here!" He yelled, having made sure every last surfer, family and beach bum was off the sand or out of the waves before he would leave himself.

"Why did you stay and send him home?" She screamed above the roar of the impending rain that already scattered into the ocean.

"Because of you!" Chad called back, running from his hut down to the beach and grabbing her arm to drag her up the sand, knocked down when the clouds burst open and wetted the soil, causing him to fall.

"What do you mean?" She asked, drenched through with rain already, cowering as a loud rumble echoed around the mountains and resulted in a sky-splintering crack just a few miles away.

"I told him to get home and look after you! I know you hate storms!" He yelled at her above the hiss and heavy patter of rain around them.

"I can't run anymore," She sobbed, trying to get up, every bone in her body aching with the drench of heat and pressure that had existed before the warm wash of water descended upon them.

"Then walk!" He instructed, getting up again. "Just move!"

She nodded and climbed up, her tiny outfit plastered to her skin and covered in wet, muddy sand as they tried to make their way up the moving material. It was like quick sand with so much water upon it- like getting your feet stuck in the part by the tide and having them taken from under you.

"Chad!" She cried hysterically, groping for leverage where his stronger, muscular body found some ground.

"Hey, don't cry, G," he commanded. "Listen to me. We'll get you home, okay? We'll get you home and Troy will give you one big hug and never let go. Now work for it, Gabs. I know you can," he encouraged and she did.

She followed his every move, hand over hand, climbing and crawling, scrambling and wriggling, so close now to the path that led her here.

"We're almost there!" She cried ecstatically, never so glad to see a solid surface in her life.

Chad looked back on her and his face paled under his dark skin, his mouth ovalling as he looked up and saw the very thing he was sure would kill them both.

"Ch-Chad?" she stammered, slowly craning her neck around to see the 20ft wall of wave above them, seconds before it reached it's peak and couldn't defy gravity any longer, crashing down upon them with its ultimate liquid force.

_I tried so hard to make this moment happen,_ Gabi thought as she was swept under the violent wave. _This is it, this is my punishment. I find someone I love and then they take him away. They take me away. _She cried for herself in the moment she went under and gave up trying to fight the malevolent swirl of the water. And she also cried for Troy. Troy, who had everything to live for. Troy who was afraid of losing someone he loved. Troy, who she loved with all of her heart and would _never _ever forget.

_Her Troy_.

/

"Oh my god…" Troy panted as he waded into the receding tide line, seeing both his friend's bodies in the remaining mess. No-one else would come out here while the storm still held and he knew he couldn't save them both at the same time, so he headed for Gabi, knowing his buddy would have a stronger body and mind against the rage of the sea.

He plucked her helpless body from the shore and waded up the quick-sand with grimacing pants as his body fought him- also exhausted by the heat of the day and the difficulty of the surface he was fighting against.

"Damn you," he swore to no-one in particular, hugging Gabi closer for warmth. "Please don't leave me," he begged her unconscious body, finally making it up to the pavement and beyond, finding shelter in the front of a small shop that had a concrete hood and offered some protection from the elements as he lay her down and stroked her hair back tenderly, snapping into lifesaving mode as he cleared her airway and breathed air into her lungs.

She quickly choked up, leading him to sigh out gratefully, sending a silent prayer skyward as her yellow eyes focused on his with confusion.

"Gabi, you're okay. You got caught in the storm and you're safe now. I have to go and get Chad but I don't want you to panic. Just stay right there and don't move an inch." He told her quickly, pressing a hand to her cheek and kissing her forehead before he repeated his last actions, bringing his friend back from the sea and into safety.

He flicked his eyes to Gabi, seeing she had sat up and was shuddering in just her small skirt and now see-through top, the thin clothes stuck to her skin and making her cold.

"Here take this-" he grabbed a heat blanket from his first aid pack on his back and wrapped it around her now that Chad was choking air into his lungs and Troy quickly rubbed her arms to help quicken the release of heat to her body.

"Troy-" She tried to speak to him but a deafening crack above them hurt his ear drums as the lightening struck meters away, catching a branch and setting it alight.

He ignored her call and wrapped another blanket around Chad, quickly checking his phone for signal and seeing he had none with which to call for help.

"Fuck!" He swore, feeling panicked tears burn his eyes as he desperately tried to save his friends.

"Troy," Gabi said again, more desperately, bringing his gaze over to her once more.

"You okay buddy?" He checked with his friend and Chad nodded, still laying on the floor and coming round.

"What is it beautiful?" He asked with a heart-breaking husk in his voice, still with the image of her in his mind as he had found her- unconscious and floating in the sea.

"I love you," she sobbed.

"What?" He tilted his head thinking he hadn't heard right.

"I love you!" She said again, louder, her tears convulsing her body as the shock of the last hour hit her.

"Oh, babe, I love you too," He husked, crawling to her, pulling her hard into his body. "I love you, too."

"Don't leave me," she whispered into his ear as her arms tightened around his neck.

"I'll try my best but I have to get you both to hospital first, do you see?" He nodded to Chad. "I have to look after Chad too."

She pulled back and nodded, sucking breaths in with her shocked sobs, her wide eyes looking around wildly while her dark hair sat in strings on her shoulders.

"It's not stopping." She panicked.

"It will," Troy frowned. "They go as fast as they come," he assured, looking to the sky and already seeing a lighter shade there. Within a few minutes he also heard the whirring of a helicopter and he realised that the roads were flooded but now the lightening was gone, they had sent out an air ambulance to rescue them.

"He's the worst!" Troy said of his friend, Chad as the medics descended. "He was under longer. I brought him round and tried to keep him warm," he explained.

"What about her?" The other medic asked, the whirring blades causing him barely to hear.

"She's cold. But I'll carry her in," Troy stated. "She's frightened and she knows me."

The medic nodded and put a protective arm around them both as Troy ran for the helicopter body, climbing in with Gabi who he immediately handed over for medical help.

"I've got you," he assured above the loud roar of the chopper, holding her hand as they checked her over. "I've got you, Gabi."

/

"The worst you can do is a twisted ankle?" Troy scoffed, ruffling Chad's hair as he lay in his hospital bed waiting for his ankle to be bound.

"What you did out there today, man…" Chad shook his head.

"Is nothing anyone else wouldn't have done in the same situation," Troy smiled. "I'm just glad to see you smile again."

"Is she ok?" He checked of Gabi.

Troy nodded with a purse of his lips to the side. "She's a little frightened still; it's to be expected…" He explained.

"But she has you to look out for her." Chad winked.

"And you." Troy replied, surprising him. "When you can shift about, I think she'd love a hug from you," he explained.

"Well who wouldn't?" Chad teased. "I am the Chadmeister after all…"

Troy chuckled and gave his friend an affectionate look. "For one minute there I thought I was too late you know?" He sighed.

"You weren't Troy." Chad reached over and touched his shoulder. "You did a great job."

Troy nodded and looked up under his lashes at his new friend. "Albuquerque has to be _the _craziest place I have _ever_ stayed," He smiled slowly.

"I told you you hadn't seen the half of it," Chad smiled back. "Beautiful women, drama galore- oh and life threatening storms. Come anytime!" He joked.

"I'm glad I did." Troy nodded. "You guys are my best friends."

"Oh, stop with the mushiness," Chad complained. "I didn't die, okay? You can only mush on me when I die, alright?"

Troy nodded. "Deal."

"Now go be with that girl of yours," Chad admonished. "What kind of boyfriend are you?"

Troy laughed and stood. "An bad one, obviously!" He replied, slipping back out of the curtain that sectioned Chad off.

He slowed his steps as he approached Gabi's cubicle and took a breath, not sure what he would find.

"Hey," he smiled softly as he came inside, seeing his girlfriend connected to the drip still, her small body warmed by several blankets and her wrist bandaged from the damage of the storm. He sat at the head of her bed and stroked her hair back, gently stroking her forehead too where he felt the fever from her shock. It amazed him how she could be so cold and so hot at the same time; but her small body did not cope as well as Chad's big, thick one.

"How you doing?" He asked, letting his hand drop to her arm and brushing the skin there.

"Okay." She replied in the best strong voice she could manage.

"Good, that's good," he sighed thankfully, going back to stroking her hair.

"Are you okay?" She looked up to him with a creased brow.

"I am now you're safe," he allowed, smiling lopsidedly.

"Will you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be here alone." She said next, her voice robotic to his ears.

"Of course. Of course I will," He soothed, sensing a reaction was yet to be made from her ordeal.

"I'm going to sleep now." She said, turning onto her side away from him.

"Okay, baby. I'm right here…" He kicked off his shoes and swung his legs into the bed, spooning her again but in a very different way than he had last morning.

"Don't leave me," she murmured as she felt her eyelids close with heavy tiredness.

"I won't." He assured, looping his arm over her belly and laying his head down, too, satisfied she was resting. "I'm not going anywhere."


	11. The calm after the storm

Thanks everyone, once again!

**11**

The old expression went 'the calm before the storm' but Troy could see the other side of the penny as he took Gabi home. He dubbed it 'the calm _after _the storm because she was in some kind of shocked stupor and he didn't know when she might snap out of it. Medically, she was okay. They suggested she rest up at home for a few days and venture back to work for a few hours a day until she felt strong enough- mentally and physically- to return to work full time.

They warned that incidents such as these had deep psychological effects on patients and that it might take days- or even weeks- for her to fully come to terms with what had happened. Troy debated calling her old psychologist but decided against it, preferring to do so only when she was capable of agreeing this was the best thing for her, because right now, he was expecting the waterfall of tears and an emotional breakdown to clear her no doubt muddled mind.

She had almost died in an accident that she had tried to create herself only months before. The idea pickled his mind and he dared not think what it did to hers. She had come so far, too, he sighed. She was smiling again and talking. She was working and looking forward to the future and now this.

Someone up there had to go and tug her back.

But he knew it was what she needed- a wake up call. Something that reminded her how much she had to _live _for and that actually, her suicide bids were a cry out for help and not the ultimate answer to her problems. She'd needed this stark look at death in the face to decide that she didn't want to die after all. And if it stopped her from trying to drown again in the future then he was glad of it. Even if it was painful watching his usually passionate, feisty friend walk around like a zombie.

"So what shall we do tonight? Do you want to watch a movie or play a board game?" He asked as she got settled on the sofa and looked up at him with big amber eyes.

"What does my hair look like?" She asked back.

"Beautiful," he assured, stroking down her head where she had plaited her mane either side.

"Are my eyes puffy?" She wondered next, her usually tan skin pale and lacking colour. Her eyes stood out even more against the pallid backing and he tilted his head to smile at her as he dropped down from the arm rest into the seat beside her.

"Only a little," he said, reaching forward to hug her. She hugged him plastically back and he squinted a little as she released him.

"Can we have fish fingers for tea?" She asked then.

"Of course we can," he smiled tightly, rising to cook them for her.

"I can help," she insisted, getting up too.

"Alright, I'd like that," he smiled, holding out his hand for her to take. She slipped hers into it and looked up into his face, realising they hardly ever did this.

"Can we go out tomorrow for a walk?" She wondered, liking the idea of holding hands with Troy in the sun.

"Sure…" He agreed carefully, getting out the packet of fish fingers from the freezer.

"Did you think I was dead, when you found me?" She asked as he emptied the food items onto the tray she had fetched.

He swallowed. "I was so afraid you might be," he answered.

"Don't you think its weird how I drowned _three times_ and never died?" She tipped her head to one side.

"I think we're very lucky you didn't," he replied diplomatically.

"But _three times?_" She insisted. "That's not luck. That's…"

"Fate." He answered for her, meeting her gaze after he slid the pan into the oven.

"Why fate?" She wondered.

"You weren't meant to die," he shrugged. "It wasn't your time."

"Right before I went under and felt like it was, you know, over," she sighed here. "I prayed that you wouldn't lose me. I accepted it was my punishment for trying to drown and I knew in that moment that I loved you more than anything. And I hadn't told you."

"Gabi…" He came over and cupped her upper arms, trying to find the girl he loved in this shell that was left of her. Even her clothes weren't the same. She was wearing a cute little tracksuit in pink and mauve and her wrist still bound with supportive bandages.

"I hadn't told you because I had this crazy idea that if you didn't know- if no-one knew- then it wouldn't be real." She smirked at her warped idea. "But that's rubbish. I almost died without you knowing how much I love you."

"I know, okay?" He assured softly, bending to engage her eyes. "I know you love me now."

"But what if I had died?" She asked starkly.

He licked his lips. "Then I would have been happy knowing we shared something special," he answered, waiting for one of his answers to her difficult questions to set her off.

"You're my first," she smiled in memory, as though everything had been wiped and she was reliving it all.

"Yeah, go figure," he teased himself gently.

"You were my first and you were so gentle…" Her eyes glazed over with love.

"I tried to be…" he blushed awkwardly, not sure where she was going with this.

"You made me feel like I was the most beautiful woman alive," she sighed.

"Well, you are…"

"And I was so mean to you at the start, when we first met."

"Oh now, Gabi," Troy smiled amusedly. "That was a long time ago."

"I was _horrible_."

"You're not now. You're nice now." He assured.

"But how could you love me when I was so mean?" She beseeched.

"Because I knew you weren't really. Gabi, are you okay?" He asked then.

"I think I should have died, Troy. I don't think fate saved me. You did. Again. How many more times can you save me before my time is come? It was meant to happen three times and every time _you _stopped it."

"Gabi you're talking like this is some movie where you skip death and it keeps coming back until it gets you." He chided. "That's not going to happen."

"What if it did?" She challenged.

"Then I'll save you again." He answered easily.

"What if I died and you couldn't save me? What if you lost me, Troy?"

"Then I'd be heart-broken." He admitted.

"I know what I have to do…" She said rushing back through to the lounge and opening the store cupboard, dragging out her packed suitcase. "I have to leave."

"_What_?" He near-shouted, thinking maybe she really _had _cracked her head when she'd gone under.

"I have to leave now before it's too late. So that you can get over me this way and not worry about what's right around the corner…"

"Gabi, I'm not worried- would you put that down?" He added crossly as she trekked towards the door.

"I mean it Troy. This is the only way. I have to go." She insisted with that same blank expression she'd worn since she woke in hospital.

"Go where?" He frowned.

"Back to mom's."

/

Troy stared at the blackened edges of the fish fingers and wondered if some tomato sauce wouldn't cover up the burnt taste. In the melee of dealing with Gabi's after-shock, he'd not managed to add any chips or wedges to the oven and so he rose from the kitchen stool to butter some bread, opting for a fish-finger sandwich instead.

He still couldn't understand what had happened as he bit into the delicious snack and closed his eyes. He _loved _fish. Especially the battered or breaded kind.

Gabi was clearly in deep shock and going through some issues in her mind that were long-ignored. He understood her obvious worries and over-exaggerated thoughts on dying, but he didn't know how to help. He did know he didn't want her to leave, though and he certainly didn't want her living under the influence of the woman she had spent years trying to avoid.

His sandwich finished, he jumped up and grabbed his truck keys, heading out to find the Montez residence.

He was going to get her back if he had to fight her out of there, he mused.

/

"Oh, Troy!" Gina smiled pleasantly. "So nice to see you. You never did make it to dinner."

"No sorry about that," he mumbled.

"I'm kidding, darling. Do come in."

He stepped inside the large town house and noticed the impeccable decorating straight away. Everything was…styled. Set just so - matching and…perfect. He could instantly read a lot about Gina's character in her choice of decoration as he glanced around further, trying to garner more information before he chose his tack.

"Are you well after the awful storm accident?" Gina queried, pouring him tea from a pot that a maid scurried in and placed down.

"Thank you…" he called to the quickly receding girl and she shot a look over her shoulder in surprise.

"Oh never mind Millie," Gina waved the maid off. "It's her job to bring me tea at twelve."

He nodded once and fought to keep the concern off his face at her behaviour.

"So is Gabi here?" He asked, wondering if the older woman thought he had come for the tea alone.

"Oh she's in her room darling. She mustn't be disturbed." Gina added.

"Why not?" He frowned.

"Awful headaches." Gina shook her head. "She asked me if she could just lay down and be left alone until she was ready to come down."

"Does she need a doctor?" He worried. "There might be something wrong…"

"No." Gina clipped, meeting his gaze and telling him silently not to ask any more questions. "She just has a headache."

"I'd like to just pop up and see her if you don't mind. I won't wake her, but if she's awake I'd like to say hello," he insisted.

"I'm afraid she asked for no visitors, Troy. Otherwise I would of course." Gina smiled and he sensed the crawling in his tummy.

"Right, okay. Well then I won't make myself unwelcome…" He cleared his throat as he stood.

"Do come again, wont you darling?" Gina trilled as she saw him to the door.

He turned back and furrowed his brow. "You can bet on it," he promised.

Gina shut the door and sighed out as her relief flooded through her veins.

"Who was that?" Gabi asked from the stairs groggily.

"You shouldn't be out of bed!" Gina contested. "Get back up to your room, my child,"

"Mom, I'm not a child," Gabi frowned at the expression, regretting coming home. Ever since her mother had insisted on her drinking one of her 'healing' hot chocolates, she'd felt dizzy and weird.

"Well you're my child and you should be resting."

"I've been resting all day and now I'm bored. Who was at the door?" She asked again.

"No-one important dear, lets get you back to bed." Gina said again.

"Was it Troy?" Gabi asked directly.

"I'm afraid not, Gabriella. It was just some conservatory salesman touting for business- no-one special like I said."

"Oh," Gabi sighed sadly, hoping Troy might at least follow her here.

"How about another hot choccie?" Gina suggested. "Keep you warm and snug."

"The last one made me whack, mom. What did you put in it, opium?" She asked drily of the strong sedative.

"Of course not," Gina pouted. "I would never deliberately hurt you. Do you honestly think that I would?"

Gabi rolled her eyes and collapsed back onto her bed, more concerned with Troy than her mom's weird ways.

"No, of course not." She replied robotically. "Good night mom."

"Good night…" Gina replied with a quizzical frown as it had only just gone midday.

"I'll be better in the morning…" Gabi told herself and anyone else who was listening as she drifted back to sleep.

/

"She won't let me in, man." Troy said of Gabi's mother.

"What is she playing at?" Chad wondered.

"I don't know," he sighed with a shrug. "Maybe she thinks in some twisted way that Gabi got hurt because of me."

"Dude, that would _have _to be some fucked up way of thinking," Chad screwed up his face.

Troy shrugged again with another brow lift. "It's a possibility."

"Nah, she didn't like you from the start." He remembered of Troy's recounting of her visit. "She doesn't like anyone who isn't introduced to her formally."

"That's ridiculous. I took proper care of Gabi, I never hurt her," he contested.

"She's missing a sandwich in the picnic," Chad reminded him. "She always tried to control Gabi and make her wear nice dresses and date certain boys…I swear that's why she walks around in these skimpy things and went out with Jason before- just to annoy her mom."

"I just don't get why? Gabi was happy with me and ok, she walked out. But that doesn't mean she shouldn't let me see her…"

"If she's made up her mind you're not good enough- and let's face it, who is? - then there's nothing you can do to change her mind. There _is _no justifying why she wants Gabi to put on a smart dress and date a bore, that's just Gina's idea of perfection."

"Never mind the fact I'm head over heels in love with her daughter," He remarked drily, this fact obviously meaning nothing to Mrs. Montez.

"You're not rich, Troy, sorry," Chad joked. "Eh-uhhh," he made a decline buzzer noise.

Troy smiled at his friend briefly and kicked down his feet from their resting position on his kitchen table and his chair legs rocked to the floor where he'd previously been suspended, rocking back and forth.

"We have to get inside." He stated.

"How?" Chad challenged.

"I don't know yet. But will you help me?" He checked.

"Breaking out Gabriella from the Montez prison?" Chad asked. "I'm there in a heartbeat…"


	12. Rescue

Aww thanks everyone :') This is the last chapter, please keep your eye out for my next story up- 'Reverend Troy Bolton'.

Also, if anyone has any story concepts throw them my way, I'm looking for a new storyline I have one idea but I'd love to hear yours too :)

**12**

Troy rolled his truck down the curb silently, the engine killed and only the slope of the road to propel him, braking as he reached a hidden position by a large, leafy tree that would not alert Gina to his presence there and not cause any untoward suspicion.

He jumped out, tugging his baseball cap further over his head and flattening the creases out of his navy blue overalls with his hands.

"I look like a dork," Troy whispered to Chad who jumped out beside him, carrying a tin tool box and wearing a scarf to cover his hair, tied fashionably in a 'street' style.

"Buddy, I _like _the handyman look. Gabi's gonna _lurve_ it," he teased.

"Shut up," Troy hissed, frowning. "How in the hell are we gonna pull this off?"

"Tell the neighbour Gina reported a leak, that we need to access their garden to fix it and climb up the house to Gabi's balcony," Chad repeated the plan.

"Yeah thanks for that summary," Troy smirked.

"You asked!" Chad retorted.

"Shh! Look, lets just go, okay? Gina goes out at four and we need to be inside by then so she won't see us all sneak out." He reminded his friend.

"I know, I know…" Chad rolled his eyes, heading across the road toward the neighbouring house.

As it was, Mrs Green, the Montez' neighbour, could not be happier for them to use her garden for _whatever _means they needed. Troy and Chad had exchanged looks at her insistence but smiled wanly and entered the garden anyway, ignoring her enthusiasm at their presence. The only problem was, she was a difficult lady to get rid of. She kept coming out to 'check they were ok' or offer them 'a lemonade and cake' every ten minutes, clearly starved of visitors the rest of her week.

After much silent persuasion through eye contact alone, Troy had convinced Chad to keep the older lady busy while he complete the task at hand. Once Chad had disappeared inside the house with Mrs Green, Troy took his chance and winged it, climbing quickly over the fence and dropping into the Montez' yard quietly. He knew the exact balcony he needed to get on and as he stealthily inched around the building, he prayed upward he wouldn't be seen. His heart was pounding at a million miles an hour and he had no idea why, he was just visiting, for Christ's sake! If only Gina didn't turn it into some secret-service operation to see Gabi then maybe he wouldn't be so damned nervous.

_Just remember she needs you,_ he told himself as he took some calming breaths and tackled the wrought iron gutter bracket, climbing up it with ease, jumping across to the first balcony and rolling down with James-Bond ease as he quickly cleared the second set of railings and landed on Gabi's balcony.

Pressed up against the sliver of wall to the side of her French windows, he held his breath as he listened for voices and heard none, telling himself he _had _to do this for Gabriella's sake.

He reached behind him and stretched his arm across, tapping on the glass gently whilst remaining hidden. Nothing happened so he did the same again and prayed she wasn't asleep.

Suddenly the glass door opened out, almost crushing him to the side of the balcony as he put a hand against it and pushed back. "Psst, Gabi!" He whispered as she stared out into the yard, turning her head sharply as she heard a voice and letting out a frightful yelp, quickly putting her hands over her mouth to silence herself when she recognised him.

Her eyes widened, her mouth ovalled and he quickly came around the door and rushed her inside, closing the doors behind him before he allowed himself to encompass her into a hug.

"I missed you," he said with meaning.

"Troy, why are you sneaking onto my balcony dressed like…" She tilted her head. "A plumber?"

"You're mom wouldn't let me see you. I came by yesterday and she was acting all weird…"

"I _knew _it!" Gabi gasped.

"Gabriella? What on earth is going on up there?" Gina called, freezing them both. "Who are you talking to?"

"Shit!" Gabi swore under her breath, quickly shoving Troy into her closet, then throwing herself on the bed, rolling side to side as if in boredom, singing to herself and plaiting her hair.

"#Did you see the colour of the sparrows egg? So blue and clear and beautiful…#"

"Gabriella?" Gina walked right into her room without knocking, frowning at her on the bed clearly acting mental.

"Mmm?" She asked, playing into her mom's hands.

"I thought I heard noises." Gina looked around for evidence of foul play.

"I caught my hair," Gabi mused tiredly. "But I'm going to have a nap in a minute and I wanted to finish my plaits," she explained.

_Even though I'm going crazy inside at having to lie to you every damn minute of the day._

"Mm, okay well have a nice nap. I have to pop to the pharmacy for the prescription Dr. Bourne gave you," she informed.

"Okay, good night mom," she yawned tiredly, forgetting her plait as she lay down to sleep.

"Good…night." Gina replied awkwardly, and then closed the door behind her. _More like goodbye,_ Gabi's heart beat excitedly at the thought.

When she was sure it was safe, she opened her closet and found Troy holding up her tiny red dress, the one she wore on Halloween to make a sexy red devil.

He arched a brow at her and she swiped the garment from him with a quiet, "Hey!"

"You're bringing that with you," he decided and she smirked at his tone, shaking her head. "That is, if you want to come with me," he added questioningly.

She smiled slowly and met his gaze. "Yes please."

"Are you sure?" He checked.

She nodded, "I was so stupid to ever leave," she admitted. "I thought this was best and goddamnit I was so, so wrong. I swear I must be on some kind of ju-ju potion because I feel like I'm upside down right now…"

"Gabi, you have been through one hell of an ordeal. You haven't done anything wrong, okay? You just got confused."

"My mom is the worst person I could have chosen to go to!" She exasperated.

"Well she is a little weird…" He allowed knowingly, meeting her eyes and grinning. "Are you ready to escape?"

"She'll come and find me…" She rolled her eyes.

"But you're in control. Not her." He added pointedly.

They listened for her car and waited five minutes making sure she didn't come back before they crept out and just as they opened the front door, a body on the other side crashed into them, causing Gabi to scream in fright that they had been caught.

"Hey what took you so long?" Chad complained and they both sighed with relief.

"You gave me the fright of my life." Troy furrowed his brows at his friend. "I thought you were Gina!"

"Miss…" Millie called from behind all three of them, causing them to freeze once again.

"I'm sorry Millie," Gabi apologised, running over to hug the girl. "You know why I can't stay. Please don't tell her?" She begged.

"Okay," she nodded shyly, meeting Troy's gaze. "Thank you for your kindness," she added to him.

He nodded at her in a gesture of respect. "You're welcome."

"Can we go already? I'm getting the heebee jeebees just stood here," Chad remarked, and the three of them ran across the road to the truck getting inside and starting the engine.

"Chad, how did you get away from Mrs Green?" Troy wondered with a flash of his grin, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"I told her I came out to get my wrench," he replied, making Troy laugh heartily as he pulled away.

/

"Thanks for the ride out, dude. I love a good adventure." Chad clasped his hand and man-hugged him as Troy stopped to drop him off.

"This place just puzzles me more every day…" Troy sighed. "Breaking girls out of their rooms? Man…"

"Well, you will mess around with a Montez," Chad teased.

"I heard that, Chad," Gabi called from inside the cab.

"And why the hell wouldn't you? Beautiful, smart and willing to date even you, Bolton," Chad winked as hobbled into his house on his sore ankle.

Troy got back into his cab and looked to Gabi with a sigh. "Will there ever be a 'normal' with us?" He wondered.

She smiled back at him and ran her fingers against his ear, touching his hair at the bottom of his cap in an affectionate gesture. "Not while you're dating me." She admitted.

"Good, right," he sighed as he looked ahead and started the engine again. "Just so I know."

/

No sooner had they come into the door than she collapsed and burst into the tears Troy had been expecting for a while.

He shut the door, slung his cap off and slipped out of the boiler suit, kneeling to cradle her into his body. He changed positions, sitting on the floor and cuddling her into his chest as his legs went either side of her and he tucked his chin to the top of her head as he sighed out at her pain.

"Shh, it's okay…" He soothed, stroking down her knotted hair with gentle hands.

"I was so _stupid! _" She blamed herself.

"You were just confused. Its shock Gabi, it does weird things to your mind," he assured.

"She tried to keep you away from me," she peeked up, her eyes bloodshot and her face wet with tears.

"I know," he shrugged. "It didn't work though, right?"

"Why did you come for me?"

"Why? God, I thought you knew, Gabi," He smiled softly, tightening his arms around her body where she leaned on him for support. "I love you."

"But I told you to get over me…" She frowned, ashamed at her words.

"I had a feeling you didn't mean it," he replied, bringing her gaze back up.

"You really are my saviour aren't you?" She mused.

He smiled with a blush across his cheeks as he looked to one side shyly. "I just happen to be in the right place at the right time," he discounted.

"You didn't have to come for me," she argued, kneeling up and framing his face with her hands. "I'm so glad you did, though, thank you."

When she kissed him, his face creased with relief at having her back and his arms rose to wrap her closer, extending their kiss for another moment.

"I'd just like to rest for a bit," she hedged with wide brown eyes, feeling tired already even from escaping her mother's house.

"Absolutely," he agreed, crouching up and lifting her into his arms with ease to carry her through to the bedroom. "Shall I run you a bath?"

She smiled up at him sweetly, touched by his question, reminded what a good man he was. "No its okay, I'll have a shower," She assured, realising her suitcase was in the truck and she had nothing to change into. As she looked down at the floral tunic Gina had given her she wrinkled her nose. "Can I borrow a top?" She asked.

"Yeah, sure…" Troy filtered through his tee-shirts and pulled one out, tossing it to her as she stood by the bathroom door. "What's wrong?" He asked as she didn't move.

"Don't go anywhere?" She asked. "Will you lay with me a while?"

He smiled widely at the idea and nodded in that cute way he did that she loved.

"Of course." He agreed easily.

And so a full circle had been done and he got to hold Gabi in his arms again, his breaths softly expelling against her hair as he talked to her and she occasionally wriggled closer, or slept and the afternoon whiled away into evening.

When they rose to make dinner, a loud knock on the door alerted them both to Gina's presence, both knowing she would come to find Gabi at some point and expecting this moment to occur.

"Don't panic," Troy kissed Gabi's forehead as he cupped the back of her head. "We'll get through this."

When he opened the door and the older woman glared at him, he almost smirked in triumph. _Ha! Lady we outfoxed you!_ His mind whirred with pleasure.

"I'd like to see my daughter." Gina said brittley.

Troy caged the door with his arms and looked down on the woman with menace.

"I'm sorry, she's sleeping. She doesn't want visitors," he echoed her words to him before.

She smirked knowingly. "Just let me in, Troy."

"She doesn't want to see you," he repeated firmly.

"Yesterday she didn't want to see _you _either, but now here she is sneaking out with you like a teenager rebelling." She sighed.

"I did want to see him, mom," Gabi stepped out from the kitchen and into view and Troy looked over his shoulder at her, not moving from blocking Gina entry to his apartment.

"Let me in, please," Gina asked Troy tersely and Gabi nodded her agreement so he stepped back to let Gina pass, ambling over to take Gabi's hand in support, kissing her knuckles tenderly.

"Oh please, stop pretending you're a gentleman," Gina derided.

Troy's eyes glittered at her accusation but Gabi paused his tense body as he went to step forward and respond to the woman in his living room.

"I love Troy, mom." Gabi said on a shaky voice. "I'm sorry I came home and pretended I didn't but it's true. He's who I want to be with."

Gabi felt his thumb rub her skin reassuringly as they stood side by side, united. She knew she would never have been able to stand up to Gina if it weren't for him. All her anger was drained, all her fighting spirit lost and all she had left was a tired and empty soul.

"Is that so?" Gina asked, glancing at her daughter and then Troy.

"Yes." Gabi nodded firmly.

"Despite the fact you could be going on a lunch date with Count Paulo Bernaldi right now?" Gina arched a brow.

"Oh, mom," Gabi rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Are you even listening?"

She broke her hand contact with Troy to touch her mother's shoulders and bring her gaze up. "Can't you just be happy for me that I have someone who loves me, and that I love them back?" She pleaded. "I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for him."

Gina squinted at her and then at Troy, watching as Gabi turned and wrapped her arms around his waist, receiving a hug in return, protected in his strong arms.

"I understand…" Gina nodded, clearly still not happy but willing to accept the way things were.

"You _do_?" Gabi scoffed.

"Yes, I do." Gina arched her brow. "I wasn't there for you when you needed me and this is how you are choosing to punish me…"

"Mom!" Gabi argued, breaking from Troy's hug to glare at her. "I am not punishing you! I think you should leave now," she added angrily.

"Just remember, Troy. My girl is a class actress, I taught her myself…" Gina smiled at him, causing Gabi to frown in frustration at her parent.

"Don't you dare tell him that!" She shouted, pushing her mother towards the door. "Just get out already!"

"She doesn't love you, you know!" Gina yelled to him as he stood and smiled bemusedly at her comments. "It's all an act!"

"Get….out!" Gabi slammed the door as she finally shoved her mother outside it into the hall and she leaned against the surface with a soulful sigh. "_Bitch…" _She cursed.

"I heard that!" Gina yelled from the other side, startling Gabi who ran across the apartment and into Troy's waiting arms.

"Don't listen to her," Gabi begged.

"I won't," he brushed his lips against her hair.

"I _do _love you," she said again.

"I know." He smiled at her as she rested her chin on his chest to look up at him.

"That's the one thing I didn't lie about…" She mused to herself.

"You mean I'm not amazingly handsome?" He pouted, making her giggle.

"You know what I mean," she chided softly, shyly meeting his eyes as his hands captured her face.

"I missed you when you weren't here," he stated, leaning down to kiss her lips tenderly, letting his hands roll down her neck, over her shoulders and down her back where he rested them on her ass and beamed happily.

"I missed you, too." She flattened her hands on his chest.

"#My baby's gonna miss me on Saturday night…#" He grinned as his husky voice sang out his favourite tune.

"Oh god…" Gabi moaned, pressing on his arms for release.

"#She's gonna dance at the party all night. She's gonna find her man and blow him away…#"

"Troy!" Gabi squeezed to escape his iron grip but he wouldn't let up, burrowing his face into her neck and kissing there with a flick of his tongue as he murmured the rest of the song into her ear.

"But she's gonna be my girl for good one day…"

Gabi moaned at his intimation, finally submitting to his onslaught. She met his gaze with hooded eyes and struggled breaths. "Make love to me, Troy." She begged.

He smiled slowly as his eyes flicked over her face. "With pleasure," he husked.

/

His hands were equally gentle and his kisses were just as insistent as the first time they had made love, only this time, Gabi knew she wanted control as she climbed up his gloriously muscled body and straddled his groin.

She loved the way his hands curved over her hips and his thumbs brushed her belly, then slowly rode up her waist and ribs to tenderly cup her breasts. She sighed out when they reached there, his thumbs rounding her nipples and pressing over the hard spots to bring hot wanting deep inside of her.

It's still surprised her, this burning need she felt at the touch of his hands and it puzzled her how such gentle, careful touches could make her buck and arch with such need. She almost felt embarrassed at her reaction until his lips claimed hers and told her how much he wanted her, too.

"Gabi…" He called for her, against her ear, his hands helping her slide onto his heated need as she gripped his shoulders and experienced this different position for the first time.

He smiled as her eyes and mouth widened in surprise, the pleasure stealing up her body in tickling waves from his manhood filling her.

She arched her back, exposing her beautiful neck to him as she leaned back and took him deeper, instinctively knowing she would with that action and soon she was rocking her hips against him, riding his body for her own pleasure.

With the freedom to touch, he touched. He kissed and he flicked his tongue against her nipple as he took her into his mouth, curving his hands down her spine to bring her closer. She shivered at the sweet feel of his fingertips and clenched him inside her as his hands rounded her backside, enjoying her shape.

"Troy!" Her eyes popped open as she gasped upon him pressing his thumb against her nub, bringing sweet, deep aches inside that she hadn't expected and he painfully smiled as she let out the most desirable sounds he thought he'd ever heard.

_Gee-whizz Miss. Montez, you sure know how to compliment a guy,_ he smirked as he drove upwards into her intimacy.

"No…I can't hold on…" She panicked, feeling her orgasm dangerously close as her whole body took control of itself and released her pleasure in the ultimate way, leaving her stunned at the violent reaction; worried she had come before him.

She needn't have worried. As she looked down his inviting chest to where their bodies joined, she could feel his excitement receding as quickly as hers, his condom filled with the evidence.

She didn't know how it happened, but he had climaxed with her and she carefully shifted, laying on his chest for a moment before she had to move again, feeling vulnerable in that moment.

He kissed her hair and wrapped his arms around her, sensing her unease. "You're beautiful, you know that?" He asked.

"I love how you love me." She sighed, burrowing into his chest.

"Me, too," he smiled.

She lifted her head and squinted into his eyes, her make-up free face and messy hair endearing him even more.

"I want to be with you." She murmured, surprised at her own thoughts.

"You are," he smiled, brushing her hair back and leaning his head up to kiss her forehead.

"I mean all the time. I want to live with you and…" She paused, swallowing her words.

"And what?" He encouraged, tilting his head, his thumb brushing down her face and against the pulse in her neck.

"And make love with you every day." She finished, his body tensing at the words.

"Every day?" He husked, a mischievous smile creeping onto his lips.

"Is there a problem with that, Bolton?" She squinted, hinting at her temper.

"Ah…no," he answered quickly, running his hand over her shoulder and resting it on her back as she leaned up and kissed him.

"Good. Because I love you. And I'm not ready to leave you." She announced.

He wrapped both his arms around her waist and flicked his blue eyes up to hers from her mouth.

"I love you, too, beautiful." He shared. "You can stay as long as you like."

She huffed and slapped his arm at his unromantic comment and he chuckled at her as they tidied themselves, laying together to snuggle for a few more moments.

"#My baby, she's the most beautiful girl, she knows I'd do anything, give her the world…#"

"Troy…" She groaned. "Quit singing that!"

"#One day I'm gonna make her mine, oh mine, we're gonna be together at the end of the line...#"

"Troy!"

"#She's my everything…#" He smiled, spooning her close. "You're my everything." He whispered.

/

A few months later…

"If he sings along to one more song, I swear I'll hurt him…" Gabi grabbed her bread stick and held it up in silent threat to her boyfriend who was also laid on the towel on the beach, busy singing along to the portable radio as she and Chad picked items from the picnic basket to munch on.

"Hey," Chad placed his hand over hers and lowered her weapon. "He's adorable when he sings," Chad twinkled.

"He's _what?_" Gabi choked on her dry bread stick.

"Well, he is," Chad shrugged. "Not in a 'dude I think you're hot' kind of way." He quickly denied. "In a – isn't he cute when he sings? - kind of way. It shows he's happy."

Gabi pressed her lips together and looked to Troy, watching as the sun warmed his sun-kissed skin and he closed his eyes with an unrestricted smile, his lips moving with the song on the radio. For those seconds, while she watched his hair flip in the breeze and his arm muscles bulge under his weight where he leaned back on his hands, she didn't hear the out-of-tune dronings he was making, she just saw her attractive partner loving every second of his life and she could barely begrudge him that.

She looked back to his face, seeing he had clocked her. "What?" His smiled peeled slowly across his face at her look.

She dumped her breadstick and rose from the blanket, heading round to climb into his lap, regardless of their company as she threaded her hands into his hair and kissed him with tender passion.

"I love you." She murmured softly, causing him to smile bemusedly and cup her arm with care.

"Are you okay?" He checked.

She nodded and climbed from his lap just as quickly, settling between his thighs with her back to his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, pressing his chin to her shoulder as he shared her view of the sea.

"It seems like we've been here forever," She mused.

"Albuquerque does that to you…" Chad commented wryly, not affected by his friend's displays of affection.

Gabi sent him a squint of disapproval and he rolled his eyes, taking his cue to wander down the beach, quickly involving himself in a volleyball game.

"Things sure have changed…" He agreed, thinking back over their beginnings here, and how things were now. Now they lived together officially and Gabi was working a PA job that suited her need for stimulation and space and their need for time together.

"Do you think things could have been different, if you never woke me that day? If we never met again?" She wondered.

He was used to her philosophical thoughts now; she'd been having them since the storm. But he didn't always know how to assure her and comfort her in a world he didn't understand himself. So he shrugged and wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

"I'm just thankful we did meet again." He said.

"Me too." She leaned back into him and twisted her neck to steal a kiss.

"My friends Nina and Anthony are coming to visit with their baby next week," he reminded her.

"Oh, Nina…" Gabi smiled fondly, having spoken to the woman on the telephone. "The baby is called Philipe, Troy. You best remember that part or she'll kill you…"

"She always said she hoped I'd fall hopelessly in love," he rolled his eyes at the thought.

"And did you?" She checked, twisting in his arms to see his face.

He flicked his eyes over her curvy body, her red bikini printed with ice-creams catching his gaze as he smiled attractively at her. "I'm not sure; remind me what your name is again…" He teased with a grin.

She swiped his bare chest and huffed, pouting her lips sulkily. "Wait till I tell her you said that."

"Oh now, you know I was only teasing…" He insisted, touching his fingertips down her arm comfortingly.

"Do not." She crossed her arms and faced frontward again.

He flicked a look either side of him and then placed a soft, tender kiss to her shoulder, then closer, to her neck, again looking up before he flicked his tongue out below her ear. "You know how much I love you," he murmured huskily.

"Do I?" She gasped on a desired breath, still putting up pretence.

"Well you ought to…" he mused, his hands creeping to her waist and his fingers running up her tummy. She was slumped over, elbows to her knees, allowing him perfect access to her breasts without anyone really seeing. "God knows I show you enough," he added in his desire-laced tone.

"Kindly take your hands off me, Troy Bolton," She instructed and he sighed, leaning back on his hands. Another of her mini-tirades was due he could tell.

But she turned and touched his face with one hand, surprising him. "If you're going to make promises like that then at least make sure you can demonstrate them properly," She chided, annoyed that he had her aching for connection with his body _again._ The passion really never did dry up, she mused.

He could feel the tightness in his shorts, didn't really care if anyone could tell or not as he stood and helped her up with a hand, dragging her back toward the cove where he had found her that first day, sleeping on the beach.

"There's a cave here somewhere," he explained as she followed with several questions, hitching her bikini top over her jiggling breasts as they practically ran toward the private space.

"Troy!" She complained. "Not here on the beach!"

"Why not?" He grinned cockily, leading her into the sheltered rock and taking her deep inside, where no-one could find them.

"What if someone else comes in?" She panicked.

"Then they'll get a great view," he commented, leaning her up against the cave wall, his arm above their heads as he kissed her longingly.

"What about Chad?" She whispered, closing her eyes as his lips touched her neck and she fought to stay standing.

"You'd rather he was here?" Troy joked, meeting her gaze and his blue eyes radiating his seriousness.

"I don't want anyone but you," she assured, kissing him back and he lifted her hips against his and rubbed his need against her.

"Neither do I," He squinted, his ragged breaths echoing in the small space.

"There's something I have to ask you, Troy," Gabi stopped him with gentle hands to his solid arms, bringing his mouth up from the edge of her bikini top where he'd just been kissing.

"What's that?" He quizzed, his fingers tickling her lower back, driving her insane with desire.

"How do you feel about Dexter?" She asked randomly, making him laugh once shortly.

"He's my god-child, I feel fine." He answered amusedly.

"I mean…how would you feel about having a Dexter of your own?" She insisted, pursing her lips nervously.

His blue eyes flicked over her face in question and then held her gaze as she silently answered. _Yes, I'm pregnant._

"I would feel like the luckiest man alive…" He slowly smiled, wondering if it could really be true.

"Really, you would?" She checked, her nerves shot at having to reveal this news to him.

"Yeah," He nodded. "Gabi, are you?" He asked out loud.

She nodded fearfully and he cupped her face, whooping out loud in the echoey hall of stone they occupied.

"That's amazing! Oh my god, Gabi! My beautiful amazing girl!" He enthused, making her blush.

"I didn't _do_ anything…"

He silenced her with a kiss, his eyes glazed over with love and happiness. "You're having my baby. That's the best thing in the world," he assured.

"Wait till I'm fat and waddling like a duck, you wont think so then," she scoffed, rolling her eyes, revealing her true worry.

"Oh, I will." He looked her straight in the eye. "I will love your fat, waddling ass even more than I do now," his eyes crinkled teasingly.

"You don't know that…" Her fingers played with his hair at his neck as her nerves controlled her.

"I do, baby, oh god, I love you so much!" He grinned, picking her up and twirling her round. "I'll love you every minute you're carrying my child and beyond," he promised.

"You are such a dork," she laughed at his promises, caught up in his emotions.

"Will you marry me?" He asked then, putting her feet to the floor and touching her hair at her temple.

"Troy!" She complained.

"I mean it, Gabi. I want to spend my life with you." He insisted.

"You're only saying that because I'm pregnant," she argued.

"No, I'm saying it because I mean it," he kissed her softly. "Please do me the honour of being my wife?" He asked again.

She blinked and smiled slowly, tears coming to her eyes. "Yes! Of course, yes," She hugged him quickly and clung to his shoulders.

"Are you happy about the baby?" He checked, kissing her forehead.

She nodded. "And nervous, too."

"I love you, you know." He smiled.

"I love you too." She ventured back.

"Now where were we?" He growled, making her giggle as his lips touched her neck and he picked her up again.

"Making love on the beach," she reminded him as they continued their foreplay in the privacy the cave offered them.


End file.
